


Hooks and Poison Apples

by ForeverDelighted



Series: The Pirate and The Princess [1]
Category: Descendants (2015), Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Eviehook, F/M, Hevie - Freeform, eviarry, slight spoilers for the books
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-11-19 12:10:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 81,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11313111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForeverDelighted/pseuds/ForeverDelighted
Summary: They were always meant to be something more than enemies.A story of Harry Hook and Evie's relationship. (HarryxEvie).





	1. Walk On The Dock

**Author's Note:**

> Why these two? Why not? I haven't seen any stories with them yet so I thought, let's give it a try. After all, isn't that what fanfics are about?
> 
> There are a few easter eggs in there, see if you can spot them ^_-
> 
> The song lyrics are from the song 'Second Star To The Right' in Peter Pan (1953). 
> 
> Well, I hope you enjoy this! Thanks for taking the time to read! Please let me know what you think :D xx

The first time Evie met him was on the docks.

It was a nippy September night. Jack Frost had visited the Isle of the Lost, speckling the ground with a soft layer of ice, the threat of snow hung in the inky grey patches of clouds. Evie was thankful she had wrapped up tightly tonight. She had travelled across the Isle, to the Southern side, to go to the Curl up and Dye to visit her dear friend Drizzy Tremaine, the granddaughter of Lady Tremaine, the ungrateful Cinderella's stepmother. 

As per her norm when leaving, she'd opted to travel via the sea front. Unlike all the other times she'd travelled down the harbours, the place was strangely deserted. The only sound was the gentle lull of the waves and the clicking of her heels as she walked across the wooden planks. Even the usual sound of drunken pirate songs being sung in nearby pubs that littered the place was non-existent. The lack of sound and the surrounding mist that had begun to settle gave the place an eerie feel. 

_I shouldn't have left so late_ , Evie thought sourly, feeling a tad nervous. _Mother is going to lock me in a tower till I'm old and_ grey _!_

Evie quickened her pace, passing by rows of barrels and shuttered shops with graffiti sprayed all over them. The designs ranged from dark purple tentacles slashing across the metal, bows and arrows, pirate hats, top hats with skulls and crossbones on them, and silver hooks. It hardly compared to any of Mal's work, but she had to give the artists credit for their creativity. Evie smiled, admiring the other pirate-themed artwork across the walls, shutters and broken windows as she walked. She became so lost in her admiration that she didn't realise she had missed her turn and had headed straight onto a harbour that led out into the misty sea. 

"First star to the right and straight on to morning." 

Startled out of her thoughts, Evie paused. She clutched onto the strap of her apple bag and glanced around, realising she had gone astray. She looked back to the stranger who had spoken, a boy who was leaning against a post at the end of the harbour, his back towards her. 

_Is he talking to me?_

She took a step backwards, intent to back away from the stranger. 

"The star," the boy explained.

He pointed into the air, intriguing Evie's gaze to follow. She just caught a glance of a dazzling star, just before snowy clouds stole it away from sight. The boy sighed, lowering his head and shaking it. 

"Auradon, that's where most of us want to be, isn't it?" 

_Villains,_ she guessed who he was referring to. All those cast away on the Isle of Lost left to rot, to be ignored and reduced to nothing more than a bedtime story to scare little ones into behaving. Don't take sweets from strangers, they say on Auradon, for all you know they could be the Evil Queen in disguise who wants to poison you with her delectable looking apples. 

"Isn't that where you want to be?" Evie asked lightly, deciding to endeavour the stranger with a response. 

Auradon was where everyone wanted to be. The land was all the goody two shoes, heroes, heroines, Princesses and - her heart fluttering at the thought - Princes lived. It was the place forged of happily ever afters. It was the destination of the victorious in the stories, their prize, and joy. Even villains dreamed of it. A land where you didn't want for anything, filled with soaring high castles adorned with dozens upon dozen of mirrors, luscious forests, glistening lakes, constant sunshine, stylish malls and so much more. It was a mouth-watering paradise! Who didn't want to be there?

The boy turned around. At first, she didn't recognise him and later she would ponder how she didn't recognise him sooner. Even if he was dressed in pirate fashion, which was popular around these parts, this boy's reputation should have made him instantly recognisable. He was wearing a red leather coat with no sleeves, a mildly shredded white tank top underneath, black trousers torn at the knees held up with several black belts, leather boots with buckles and to finish off the look was a classic pirate hat upon his head. 

He had style, she'd give him that. And considering how cold it was he certainly seemed willing to suffer a little for the sake of fashion, a man after her own heart. 

"Nah," he shrugged. "I never did fancy the snob's life." 

Evie bristled at that. 

"Then where is it you want to go?" If they ever did get off this accursed island that was. And oh, how very doubtful that was. No villain left the Isle. None ever had and none ever would. But, a villain could dream, couldn't they? 

He lifted his other hand, only it wasn't a hand, but a hook. Evie lifted her head, seeing the boy through new eyes. The hook said it all, taking away the need for an introduction. This was no ordinary ruffian pirate that hung around the harbours and docks. This was the son of Captain Hook. The infamous Harry Hook. He was well known around these parts, though Evie had never met him until now. It was surprising, considering he had once dated her best friend, Mal. 

_Well, Mal, you certainly have good tastes_ , Evie thought with a secret grin. 

Slowly, he directed his hook off to the right side of the sky, softly and with a light tune, he sang a very familiar song. 

"The second star to the right

Shines in the night for you

To tell you that the dreams you plan

Really can come true."

It dawned on Evie then, what he was talking about. 

"Neverland."

He turned back to her, grinning. 

"Aye, me Dad's auld haunting grounds. That's where I want to be." 

Evie looked back up into the direction he had pointed, where the star lay cloaked behind clouds. 

"Do you think you'll ever get there?" She asked softly. 

"Ye can't keep a villain down for long." He ran a finger down his hook, tilting it so the dull orange hue from the lanterns glinted off it. "Fate is far too mischievous for that. Give it time lass. Ye'll see. I'll get out of here. We all will. And all those wretched Auradon folk will regret the day they crossed our parents."

That was what everyone said, but how many truly believed that? 

"So you want off the Isle... to go to another Isle?" 

Harry frowned at her her, crossing his arms. 

Evie flipped her hair, strutting over to lean on her back against the wooden pole across from him. She tucked her hands behind her back, looking up at the moving clouds and mist, watching for the second star on the right to reappear. A cold breeze stirred her hair and she fought back a shiver.

Harry tilted his head, looking at her curiously. 

"And who might you be anyway? I haven't seen ye around these parts." 

Evie was rather offended by that. Who didn't know who she was? She was the daughter of one of the most feared villains in the history of the world, the Evil Queen, the enemy of Snow White and her not so charming Prince. She hid her annoyance behind a flirty smile, locking eyes with Harry's dark ones. She quite liked the mascara around them, making them look all the more dark and alluring. 

"I'm Evie. Evil Queen's daughter. And you are?"

Despite knowing who he was, she hoped that the implication that his reputation didn't proceed him would annoy him as it had her. Unfortunately, the little quirk of his lip suggested otherwise. He took a few slow steps towards her, leant forward and gently took her hand. 

"Charmed." He brought her hand up to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. 

Evie kept her expression as neutral as she could, ignoring the little flutter in her chest his action had caused. Oh poison apples, the boy had charms. 

She gave him a quick smile, one that she hoped came across as fake and merely put on for politeness, least he actually think his smooth moves could impress her. She pulled her hand free, tucking it back hind her back. An amused grin spread across his face and he straightened himself but didn't move away. Evie noted that they were a little too close for comfort. 

"And I'm Harry, son of Captain Hook."

"Oh, I didn't know Captain Hook had a son."

This time the lie had the desired effect. Harry's brow furrowed in annoyance, and his eyes narrowed as the barb hit home. Inwardly, Evie smirked, and she decided to further drive home her attack.

"I thought he only had two daughters, CJ and Harriet." 

To Evie's wicked delight, Harry's frown deepened and he clenched his hand into a fist. Oh, was he angry? 

"Never heard of me, eh? I have to say, I've never quite heard of you either."

"I guess you don't get out much then, do you?" Evie quipped back, smiling. 

Harry took the insult with an impressed scoff, nodding his head. 

"Well, if ye are The Evil Queen's daughter, I suppose that explains the tiara," Harry said, indicating with his head to the silver tiara on her head. It was encrusted with light blue gems, matching her outfit. He reached out and flicked it, nudging it slightly out of place. "I've never met a Princess before."

"Well, every Princess has to have one," Evie said, a bit of a snap in her voice as she fixed her tiara back into place. "And I'm not surprised. Princesses don't make a habit of associating with rift rafts." 

Harry smiled, taking another step forward. Evie stood her ground as he placed a hand on the pole, right beside her head. He leant in, his breath warm on her face. Did the boy know nothing of personal boundaries? 

"Well I hope that's something that'll change in the future, Princess," Harry said with a rather flirty grin. 

Evie gave him one of her own and even dared to lean forward, bringing his lips inches from her. She couldn't help feeling satisfied when Harry's breath hitched and he pulled away ever so slightly. Good, she had unnerved him. 

"I don't think so." 

With that said, Evie pulled away from Harry. With a final toss of her hair and a wicked smile, she strutted away from the pirate, head held high and heels clicking loudly.

Harry watched her go, a smile forming on his lips. Evie may have had the last word of tonight, but if he had his way there would be other words on other nights spoken between the two. Once she had vanished into the mist, he turned back to the sea, his Mistress and ever faithful companion. He looked up into the sky, his smile widening at the sight of that ever-present star in the sky, the second to the right.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star

So we'll know where you are

Gleaming in the skies above

Lead us to the love we dream of."

When Harry finished singing, he laughed and reached into his coat pocket. From it he pulled out his latest acquisition, a silver tiara studded with blue gems that glistened like stars. How long would it take for its owner to realise? Not long he reckoned. He couldn't wait to meet her again. 


	2. Enemy Territory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uploading it early as these two are filling me with inspiration that's gotten me writing again! :D
> 
> If anyone knows any fanfics for this pairing, or if yous write any, pleeeease let me know as I'd love to read them!

She was going to kill him.

Maybe she would do it the classic way. She could follow mother's footsteps and end him with a beautifully polished red apple. Or maybe she could take a page out of Mal's mum's book and send him into an eternal sleep with the prick of a spinning wheel? Trap him in an hourglass filled with sand? Turn him into a llama? Oh, there was so may classics to choose from!

Or perhaps she could go with something a little less traditional. A nice new pair of cement boots and a source of deep water would do the trick.

Evie pondered all the delightful ways she could achieve her revenge as she crept along the docks, subtly moving behind the rows of wooden barrels and posts to stay undetected. Ahead of her, bobbing in the water, was her target. A rather unimpressive mini pirate ship, sporting a black flag with a skull with a pirate hat on and tentacles instead of crossbones underneath, between the skull's teeth it held the blade of a sword.

This was Uma's ship, the daughter of Ursula. If Evie's sources were correct, that was. And they usually were, for if they were wrong then they got a nice delivery of poisoned treats to their door, so they knew better than to mislead her, even accidentally.

"If you think you can steal from me, the Evil Queen's daughter, then you have another thing coming pirate boy."

Getting onto the ship would be the hard part. Once on, she would find her tiara, which was most likely hidden in Harry's room or the ship's treasure room. Since it was such a small ship it shouldn't be too hard to find. Well, she hoped not anyway.

Now how to get on?

Over on the other harbour, she noticed some of Uma's crew loading barrels and carts onto the ship. She smiled. Those barrels looked just the right size for someone like her.

And that was how she found herself inside the belly of the whale, Uma and her crew's pirate ship.

* * *

Granted, it wasn't her most graceful or elegant entrance, but sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do. Even if that meant cramming yourself into a teeny barrel and allowing some grisly pirate to toss you carelessly into the cargo hold. When she was sure it was safe, Evie shoved off the lid of her barrel and escaped from it. As she stood up her muscles ached in protest at having been jammed into such a tight space for so long.

_Harry, I will get you back for putting me through all this, make no mistake about that!_

No one crossed her and got away with it!

She crept her way out of the cargo hold and began searching the ship, every so often having to hide in storage spaces or behind barrels to escape detection by patrolling pirates. Carefully, she would check each room she went by that wasn't lock. When she was just about to give up she found the room she was looking for.

Harry's room. And oh bless her luck, it was unlocked.

She slipped in and closed the door behind her, before turning to take in her villain's lair.

_What a mess._

Evie wondered into the cabin, wrinkling her nose at all the clothes, coins, rubbish, nets and shiny sea junk lying around the place.

There was no bed, only a large hammock filled to the brim with exotic looking pillows and colourful blankets. There was a ridiculously massive walk in closet, open to reveal so many clothes than the amount almost rivalled her own wardrobe back home. All the clothes looked like they had been simply chucked or stuffed in, there was no neatness to be seen. Dangling from the doors were a variety of different belts, hats and trinkets. Over by the stained glass windows, there was a round table surrounded by three chairs, mugs, a chess board, maps, sweetie wrappers and coins cluttering it.

_Maybe the real hard part will be finding the tiara in this mess! What an utter nightmare!_

She decided to check the most obvious place first, the treasure chest in the corner of the room. She supposed like every Princess needed her crown, every pirate needed their treasure chest.

Evie strutted over to the chest, more than please and a little disappointed to find Harry hadn't locked it.

"You silly boy," she tsked. "Someone needs to learn to keep their things locked."

She flipped the lid open and grinned. Sitting atop a pile of clothes was her tiara, winking in the light.

"Easy peasy, evil squeazy!"

She picked up her tiara and tucked it into her bag. Just before she closed the chest's lid, something silver caught her eye. She licked her lips as she picked it up, her eyes lighting up with mischief.

"Is this what I think it is? No way-"

"Ye said!" A cringingly familiar voice roared from behind the door. "That I could hook him!"

"I know what I said," another voice snapped, this one belonging to a girl. "It's not my fault he fainted before we got to that part!"

Evie leapt to her feet, watching the closed door with wide eyes. Harry and someone else, no doubt Uma, were heading towards the room! Frantically, her eyes scanned the room, looking for somewhere decent to conceal herself.

 _There isn't anywhere to hide!_ Evie thought, her heart hammering loudly in her chest. She tiptoed quickly over to the window, looking for any way to open them and finding none. Outside in the corridor, she could hear their approaching footsteps. _I'm doomed._

She was on her own, had no backup and was in enemy territory. Uma and her crew's reputation was fierce and she did not want to be on the receiving end of their mischief.

_Oh, think, think, think!_

She could hear Harry grumbling under his breath, muttering about not having hooked someone - whatever that meant - in ages. If he caught here she could imagine his glee at having a new victim to mess with. She had all but served herself up on a silver platter!

With nowhere else to go, Evie dived over to the wardrobe, stumbled desperately with the handles and pulled the doors shut. It was suffocating and stuffy in the closet. Much to her horror she couldn't fully close the doors and had to hold them closed, if she let go they would fly open and she would fall out!

The door slammed open and Harry charged in, cursing as he made his way to his hammock. He tossed himself into it, his brow furrowed in annoyance.

"Oh don't be such a guppy," Uma muttered, crossing her arms. "If you had been with us last night then you would have gotten to hook as many whelps as you'd wanted, but no, you decided to ditch us. What did you get up to anyway?"

"None of yer business, Uma," Harry muttered, turning away from her.

"Keep your secrets then," Uma shrugged. "But don't complain about something when you had the chance to do it and gave it up! And stop taking your anger out on the crew and throwing them overboard! At this rate, we won't have any crew left!"

Evie watched the pair through the small gap between the doors, holding her breath and not daring to move. Oh, she hoped they left soon. Her legs were starting to cramp up!

"Not ma fault they're reflexes aren't up to par," Harry muttered.

Somewhere on the deck, a bell began ringing. Both Uma and Harry glanced upwards.

"Time to set sail," Harry said, flinging his legs out of the hammock and dropping down. He ran a hand through his dark hair and gestured with a grand flare towards the door. "After ye, Captain."

Uma made her way to the door, followed by Harry.

 _Set sail? Uh oh._ Evie swallowed, cursing herself for this whole stupid situation. This wasn't good. If they set sail then it was only a matter of time before they found her! She couldn't stay in the closet forever and if Harry's vanity was anything like hers, which she strongly suspected it was, he would be back shortly to change into another elaborate outfit. _I need to get out of here, now! While they're still docked!_

Evie went to open the closet, thinking the close was clear. Unfortunately, fate would have it that the close was not clear. At the same time that Evie released the handles and pushed the doors, another pair of hands was pulling the other handles and opening them from the other side. Two surprised cries ripped through the room, eyes widening and mouths dropping open. The next thing Evie knew she was crashing forward, right into Harry's outstretched arms. They slammed into the floor. Harry let out a pained grunt as his back took most of the impact.

"Talk about falling for a guy," he huffed, trying to regain the air that had been knocked out of him.

Evie tried to push herself up, but her limbs were entangled with Harry's. Nothing could stop the blush blossoming across her cheeks or the startled yelp she let out as she tried to push herself up.

"Harry, what is going on? Eh-" Uma's voice fell as she caught sight of Evie lying on top of Harry. "Well... this is unexpected."

Harry glanced up at his shipmate.

"Uma, I don't believe ye've had the pleasure of meeting Ivy."

"Evie!"

"Evie," he corrected himself.

"And um, what is she doing on my ship?" Uma asked, crossing her arms.

"Stealing some of ma treasure, I assume."

"I'm not stealing _your_ treasure," Evie hissed glaring down at the grinning boy. "I'm stealing back _my_ treasure that you stole! I've seen your wardrobe, trust me, my tiara doesn't go with any of your outfits."

Harry smirked and before she had a chance to react he had wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and flipped their positions. Evie let out a wince as her back hit the floor. She glowered up at the boy pinning her down by the wrists. He only smiled in return, his dark eyes sparkling with mirth.

"You filthy, flee ridden pirate! Get off of me!" Evie snapped, struggling to free herself from his grip.

"Well Uma, I think I've found a way to make up for me ditching ye and Gil the other night," Harry said conversationally, his eyes never leaving the snarling Princess. "Ye up for a planking?"

 _Planking?_ Evie's eyes widened. He wouldn't dare, he- he really would dare. Why lie about it? Uma and her crew were infamous for it. It was their signature stunt. Throw some poor soul overboard into shark and eel infested waters.

"You'll regret this," Evie whispered.

Harry gave her a cheeky wink.

"I don't think so," he said, tossing her words from last night back at her.

Oh, she was going to get him for this.

* * *

"Think happy thoughts," Harry shouted cheerfully over the crashing of waves. "Who knows, maybe ye'll fly."

The pirate crews laughter suggested otherwise.

They were all on the deck, two dozen or more pirate all crammed up at the side of the ship, jeering, whistling and clamouring for their latest catch to be thrown overboard. Evie stood on the edge of the plank, her hands tied together with cord. She refused to cower in front of them, holding her head high as the royalty her mother always told her she was.

At the corner of her eye, she saw the murky, choppy waters and tried not to wince. It may only be a short distance to land but she wasn't the best swimmer, and she didn't think that would improve with her hands currently tied and such nasty looking waves smashing against the ship. She also didn't want to think how the salty water would effect her clothes and hair. Her mother would have a fit! Well, that was if she didn't drown or get eaten by sharks or something first.

Harry put one foot into the plank and gave her a cheeky wink before raising it and stomping it down hard. The plank wobbled fiercely and Evie let out a startled cry as she almost lost her balance. She gave the pirate boy her nastiest glare that promised bloody revenge for this. Harry laughed loudly in response. Behind him, the crew began cheering and taunting Harry more loudly, encouraging him to drive her off the edge with his sword.

Harry being the crowd pleaser that he was stomped his foot onto the plank twice, much harder this time. Evie barely kept her feet from slipping. The crew cheers intensified and they started clapping, steadily getting louder and louder, building up to what they planned to be Evie's grand finale. All the while Harry grinned madly, encouraged by his shipmates.

_I need to do something or I'm fish bait!_

"Any last words, Princess?" Harry shouted over the excited clamour of the other pirates.

Evie met his eyes, a tinge of fear widening them. This was it. She was done for. What a stupid idea this had been, coming here without backup! Mal, Carlos and Jay would have come here with her, the prospect of causing mischievous mayhem for Uma and her crew to wicked an opportunity to pass up. Instead, she'd come alone, wanting the glory of revenge all to herself.

Mal was always telling her how smart she was, but right now, she felt like the stupidest person alive.

"I don't suppose parlay would work here?"

"Wrong pirates," Harry said. "Right lost boys and girls! Shall we end this?"

Evie looked around, desperately looking for some way out of this. All the crew were jumping up and down, swinging from ropes, clapping and shouting, overly hyped for her grim demise. All were villains to the core. As much as she despised them for putting her through this, she couldn't help but admire the cold viciousness they displayed.

Something caught her eye then, temporarily blinding her. Evie nudged herself to the side to escape it. Curious, she looked for the source, noticing it came from Harry. The sunlight was catching off his hook.

_His hook... that's it!_

Evie awkwardly used her tied hands to dig into her purse, which they had foolishly left her with.

"Actually, Harry dear, I do have some last words," Evie called out sweetly, her voice barely audible over the crew's commotion.

Only a few turned to see what the girl had to say, but all who did found the smiles on their faces melting away. Others saw this and turned as well, a silence quickly falling over the crowd. Harry turned his smile onto her, and his smile fell too, replaced with a look of stunned horror.

"That's-"

"Your father's original hook," Evie finished for him, shining with satisfaction. "Stole it from your bedroom. By the way, do your shipmates know you sleep with a pirate parrot?"

Giggles, sniggers and whispers washed through the crew. For a brief moment, there was a look of utter mortification on Harry's face. Evie did her best to memorise it, cherishing every second of that look. Oh, how her mother and her friends would be proud of her.

"It's really cute, had a little pirate hat and a hook claw. Very sweet."

The crew's laughter grew.

Harry stood up straight, hollering for them all to shut up. He swirled around, his red coat flaring around him. He pointed his hook at her threateningly and approached.

"Hand it over or yer going overboard, lass."

"You're going to throw me overboard anyway," Evie replied dryly. "I might as well take down something of yours with me. One of your shipmates might be able to help you get. If they can stop laughing at you that is."

Harry let out a growl and stomped his way onto the plank, intent on snatching back his prized possession. Evie found her legs shaking with every step closer he took. He wasn't being careful at all, causing the plank to wobble dangerously. His crew's laughter and his anger at her were throwing him off.

 _Good_ , Evie thought. _This will make it all the easier._

When he was right beside her, hand reaching out to grab his treasure, she moved. Quick as the strike of a blade, Evie smashed herself against Harry's chest. With a cry, Harry lost his balance and fell off the plank. Evie smiled, flipping her hair and turning to look at the stunned pirates.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what happens when you mess with-"

A hand coiled around her ankle and tugged her, hard. With a scream, Evie felt herself being pulled down off the plank before a horrible falling sensation took over her. Her hair wiped up wildly around her face, scratching at her. The next thing she knew she was engulfed in water, the freezing temperature was a shock to her system. She gasped and water flooded her lungs. Frantically, she floundered her way to the surface, barely able to keep her head above the water.

 _I can't keep this up for long,_ Evie thought dimly, panicking as her head kept dropping below the water.

Harry broke the surface a little away from her, spluttering and coughing. He growled, slapping the water angrily as he cursed her.

"Ye wretched-" Harry let out several obscene curses at her, smacking the water as he spoke each one. When Evie didn't respond he let out a harsh laugh. "Oh, no witty retort! How unlike ye. What's the matter? Catfish got yer-" Harry looked to the spot where Evie's head had been and found only water. He looked around but couldn't see the girl anywhere. "Oi, Princess!"

His gaze dropped to the water.

"She went under the water! I don't think the little Princess can swim!" Uma hollered down to him, an evil grin on her face.

"Well good riddance to bad - hey!"

Arms suddenly looped around his shoulders from behind, a pair of tied hands resting against his chest. Evie had managed to flounder her way to the surface, and now the only thing keeping her afloat was Harry.

"Yer pulling me down with ye!" Harry shouted, trying to get her off.

"That's... the idea," Evie spluttered, water still in her mouth. "I go down... you go down... with me! So you better get us to the beach... over there... or so help me you'll be sleeping in Davy Jones locker within the next ten minutes!"

Try as he might, Harry couldn't dislodge the girl, in fact, with his struggles she only tightened her grip and made it more of a challenge to float. With a snarl, he gave up and began swimming, with great difficulty, over to the beach. His crewmates were never going to let him live this down. When they finally got the beach both were breathless and panting hard. Evie unlooped her arms from his neck and flopped down onto the sand beside him.

"And that... is why you... never understatement a.... fellow villain, especially... me," Evie gasped, trying to ignore the burning sensation in her chest.

"What part... of that... ended in yer favour? Ye still went... overboard and... nearly drowned," Harry panted, completely breathless.

"Well... I'm alive, aren't I? And... I still took you down with me... so that's more than a success as far... as I'm concerned."

Harry managed to choke out a laugh. He turned himself onto his side, his bangs plastering to his face. With as much strength as he had, he propped his head up with his hand and elbow. Evie turned her head to look at him, finding him smiling rather dazzling at her. His mascara was running down his face, no doubt so was hers.

"If yer gonna to go down take as many poor unfortunate souls as ye can with ye," Harry said, still smiling. "I like it. Ye'd get along well with Uma. That's her philosophy too."

"Good philosophy," Evie said, still gasping for air.

"Ruthless and petty," Harry said quietly. "I guess it's true what they say about ye, Evie."

"And what do they say?"

 _So much for not having heard anything about me_ , she inwardly smirked.

"That yer rotten to the core."

He said it was a smile and with, dare she say it, admiration. He kept looking at her, something like wonder gleaming in his eyes. Rotten to the core was one of the highest compliments you could get on the Isle of the Lost, and to hear it coming from Harry was something else.

"Don't think flattery will get you into my good books after this," Evie snorted.

Thanks to him, her outfit, makeup and hair were ruined, not to mention she had almost drowned! Her mother really was going to have a fit if she saw the state she was in. Evil only knows what all that sea water had done to her skin!

"I've never been interested in getting into anyone's good books," Harry scoffed, turning to lie on his back. "Bad books are more my speciality."

Evie laughed at that.

"I noticed."

After a few moments rest the two rose to their feet. Water dripped off their soaking wet clothes, their hair matted to uncomfortably to their faces. Evie tried to ring out her hair, muttering irritably as she did.

"Well, this has been a blast, but I'll be going now."

Harry quickly blocked her path, giving her a look of disbelief.

"After all that and ye think yer getting away unscathed?"

Evie smiled and stepped closer to him.

"After all that you're lucky that this is all I'm going to do for now."

Harry crossed his arms, smirking. "Oh, and what's that?"

"This," Evie smiled sweetly as she lifted her arms and placed her hands on his shoulder. She felt Harry stiffen, a question forming on his lips. He didn't get the chance to ask it as the next moment Evie brought her knee up and kneed him in his family jewels.

Harry grunted as he dropped to his knees, his eyes narrowed at the smirking girl. She blew him a kiss and once again, strutted off, leaving behind a vengeful pirate, eager to meet her again.

They both knew that this was the start of a beautiful enemyship.


	3. Swords and Shells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evie needs one last thing to complete her outfit, unfortunately, the only place to buy it is The Hook Inlet and Shack.

_Hooks Inlet and Shack._

Evie stared at the shop across the street, her menacing scowl putting pedestrians walking by her on edge.

It was an interesting building, the front part shaped to look like a pirate ship. The store sign was written in cursive, each letter gleaming gold, two silver hooks placed at either side. There were barrels lined up outside the shop by the large porthole windows, filled with rods, harpoons, nets and other large fishing goods. The shop was popular with the locals, renowned for being the best place for fishing gear on the Isle.

Although it was a shop primarily for fishing gear, rumour had it they also sold the best seashells there were to be found. And that was what Evie had come here looking for. She needed a seashell, one to complete her latest outfit design, Evil At The Beach! She had searched everywhere and had been about to give up when a few of her friends assured her that this was the place to go.

Evie, hands on hips, began tapping her foot. She glanced at the clock tower to her right. She couldn't keep lurking around out here, fifteen minutes was fifteen minutes too long. It really should not have been an issue. Never had she hesitated to go into a shop before, but this one's owner gave her reason to pause. Or rather, the owner's son... Harry Hook.

He had stolen her tiara. He had made her walk the plank. He had ruined her outfit that she had worn that day, along with her hair and makeup. These were sins that were not easily forgiven. She knew if she encountered him again he would be more than happy to add to her list of aggrievances against him.

 _Suck it up, girl! You can do this!_  Evie berated herself. She was the Evil Queens daughter! Of course, she could do this!

Besides, there was next to no chance of him being there. According to her sources, he hated working at his father's shop and seldom went there. To be extra cautious, she had found out that today was one of his days off.

With a renewed confidence that she wouldn't encounter the rift raft pirate, Evie squared her shoulders and strutted across the street.

The door jingled as she entered. The inside of the shop was large and spacious. Most of the walls were lined with shelves, filled with all manner of boxed fishing products. The other walls had pirate flags, maps and tapestries of sea monsters draped across them. Around the room were tables with nets for table cloths, various items displayed on top, with the odd skull, pirate ship figurine or candlesticks as decorative displays.

Evie could not see anyone tending to the shop. With a shrug, she wondered in, browsing around until she found a table with a wide selection of shells on display. The collection here was certainly better than any she had come across so far, all the other shells in shops were either tiny, bland, dirty or broken. These shells were dazzling! And there was such a variety of shapes, sizes, types and colours to choose from that Evie felt spoiled for choice - a rare feeling on the Isle.

"Hmm, maybe this one?" Evie murmured, lifting up a pinkish shell.

Then again, beautiful though it was it wasn't really bright enough and would be drowned out by the other colours in her outfit. What she needed was something bright. Something bold. Something like-

"How about-" a voice drawled.

Evie jumped at the sound of the voice. A second later a hand clad in a black fingerless glove appeared in her vision, clutching a red shell by the tips. Evie blinked at the shell being presented in front of her.

_Something like that!_

It was gorgeous and just perfect to go with her latest outfit! It was a vibrant red colour and just the right size too!

"This one," the voice continued, murmuring in her ear.

Evie winced, she knew who's voice that was and she wasn't at all happy that its owner was suddenly pressed rather close up behind her, one hand resting on the table beside her, effectively caging her against the counter.

Harry Hook had arrived. Yipee.

She straightened her posture, put on her brightest so-not-in-the-mood-for-Harry-Hooks'-nonsense-smile and carefully, so as not to touch him, turned to face him, her hands resting on the table behind to balance herself.

 _Great, so much for him not working today._ Her sources were going to get an earful for this!

 _Don't worry_ , they had said,  _he only works like, once a week on a Tuesday! He hates helping out with the shop!_

If she had not been assured that this was the best place to get seashells in the whole Isle then she would not have risked coming here. Oh, the things she did for fashion.

"Look what the catfish dragged in," Evie drawled sweetly.

"That's ma line," Harry quipped, smiling down at her. He gestured grandly with his hooked hand to the rest of the shop. "Welcome to the Hook's Inlet and Shack. How can I be of service?"

"Getting away from me would be a good start."

To his credit, Harry raised his hands in surrender and backed off a few feet. He leant back against the wall across from her, folding his arms. He lacked his red leather jacket today, instead only wearing a white ripped shirt, black ripped trousers with brown boots pulled over them. His eyes had a generous amount of mascara surrounding them, making his dark eyes seem all the more dark and alluring.

The boy certainly was a heartthrob, Evie would give him that, just not aloud.

"And if you must know," Evie said bristly. "I'm looking for a shell. That one you have will do just nicely."

Harry held the shell up for her to see, examining it himself. He nodded, seemingly pleased with what he saw.

"It's a mighty fine shell."

"I can see that. Now how much it is?" Evie asked impatiently.

"In a hurry to leave, Princess?"

 _To leave you_ , Evie quipped to herself. She reframed from telling him this as one did not insult someone you were trying to purchase something off of. That tended to up the prices significantly.

"I'm on a tight schedule."

"Oh really? Because if I didn't know any better-" Harry pushed himself off from the wall, strolling slowly towards her "-I'd say ye were in a hurry to get away from me."

"Hmm, I take it you get that reaction a lot then?" Evie asked innocently, batting her eyelashes.

It was barely noticeable, but his smile fell a little.

Point to Evie.

"Fifty."

Evie frowned, caught off by his sudden change in topic. "Fifty? Fifty what?"

"Dollars."

"For the shell?" Evie gasped in disbelief, her pitch going slightly higher than she meant.

He couldn't be serious. It was pretty but  _not_  that pretty! Well... it was but she certainly wasn't going to pay that amount for it! She highly suspecting he was only upping the price to get back at her for her little comment that she had- oh... the comment. She was supposed to be playing nice to get a discount. Well, so much for that plan.

"There is no way that's the actual price."

"Afraid so," Harry shrugged. "But if that's out yer price range then I'm sure ye can find somewhere more suitable elsewhere."

He had to know that all the other shells that the shops of the Isle had to offer were pitiful. There was no way he didn't know. He was trying to force her into paying him way more than the shell was worth for petty revenge.

Evie bit back a growl. This boy was standing between her and the perfect beach outfit! But as much as she wanted to complete her outfit, she wasn't willing to get played around by a fashion backwards scoundrel!

"I'm sure I can find something better," Evie said, flipping her hair.

She turned around and started walking towards the door.

She could always steal it later anyway. Or better yet, sweet talk someone else into stealing it for her! She was sure Jay would be up for the task.

"How about a wager instead?" Harry called out, just before Evie's hand wrapped around the door handle. She glanced over her shoulder, quirking an eyebrow at him. "If ye win, I'll give ye the sea shell for free. I'll even weave it into a pretty necklace for ye."

"What's the wager?"

Harry walked over to a barrel that had a variety of cutlass swords sticking out of it. He drew one out, running his hook down the blade.

"A sword fight, between ye and me."

 _Seriously?_  Evie blinked.

"Is this deal one all the customers get offered?" Evie asked, tilting her head. "It's a wonder you're still in business. What do you get if you win?"

_Besides the satisfaction of humiliating me._

She didn't know how to sword fight and she had to assume that he did. He was a pirate after all. What kind of pirate didn't know how to sword fight? And this was the son of Captain Hook, there was no possible way Hook had not taught his son how to sword fight. That would be as absurd as the Evil Queen not teaching her daughter how to put on makeup! Which she did, thoroughly.

"How about we keep a surprise for when I win?" He said coyly.

"Hmm, I don't think so," Evie replied, crossing her arms.

She was not foolish enough to go into a wager she knew she would most likely lose, not knowing what was at stake.

"Alright then, a thimble."

"A... thimble?" Evie scrunched her face up in confusion.

That was what he wanted? A thimble? The ones they used for sewing? Really? There had to be a catch.

Harry nodded, his lips quirking at the corner.

"Do ye accept? Ye don't stand to lose much when ye lose."

_Oh, that arrogant-_

"This really isn't worth my time."

Even if there was no catch and it was just a thimble he wanted if she did lose she was still going to be embarrassed. He would not let her live it down and gossip would spread quickly of her pitiful failure. The shell, no matter how striking and perfect, was not worth her dignity and reputation.

Evie straightened, gave Harry a quick unpleasant smile then turned to leave again.

"Scared?"

That stopped her.

She slowly turned around to face him, eyes narrowed.

Scared? Oh him? Evie rolled her eyes. Once he had seen what her mother was like when she found out you had used the last of her contour, then he could talk to her about being scared.

Evie walked over to the barrel containing the swords and drew one. She pointed it towards Harry, aiming its tip at his heart.

_Challenge accepted, pirate boy._

"Not a chance."

That mischievous grin broke onto his face again. She could not wait to get rid of it.

He opened his arms wide, sword in one hand, hook in the other, and gave her a flashy bow.

"Then let's begin."

They circled each other in the small clear space in the centre of the room, away from most of the store's displays. Evie made the first strike, lunging straight for his heart. Harry knocked the blade away with ease.

"Going straight in for the kill shot there?" Harry asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Why waste time?" Evie said with a smile.

She dove forward, trying to bring the sword right down on top of him. There was the loud clash of metal as Harry moved forward and caught the blade with his own. The move brought them both face to face, swords held high above their heads.

"Have ye ever fenced before?" Harry asked, though from the sound of his voice it was clear he already knew the answer.

No, but she certainly had gotten into fights before.

Evie raised her foot and kicked him in the stomach, pushing him away from her. She spun around, her sword slicing through the air, ready to strike him when he was down. Harry rolled out the way and Evie's blade struck air. Harry was on his feet the next moment.

"Not bad," Harry commented. "But let's see yer fencing skills."

Now it was Harry who was on the attack. He struck as fast as the crack of a whip, hitting her sword with blow after blow that she barely countered. He was grinning all the while, throwing in the occasional twirl and fancy footwork, putting her to shame.

 _He's toying with me_ , Evie thought with a growl, just managing to block another series of blows.  _This is not going to end well. I need to do something!_

She realised he was backing her into a corner, each of his strikes pushing her further back. Evie felt her panic flare. She could hear her heart hammering loudly in her chest, it seemed to deafen out the clash of metal and stomp of footsteps on the wooden floor. Her breath was coming quicker now as the fight started to take its toll. Annoyingly, Harry seemed perfectly fine.

She felt her back slam into the wall and only just managed to block Harry's blade. He leant in closer, his face inches from hers. She scowled at him and was about to make a comment about personal space when he started talking.

"Give up?"

"Over your dead body."

Harry applied a little more pressure and Evie struggled to stop the blade from coming down on her chest. An inch or two more and she was a goner.

_Come on Evie, use your head! You can get out of- oh!_

Evie smiled sweetly at her opponent, fluttering those big lashes. Harry narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak when she struck. Evie drew her head back and crashed it into Harry's.

The pirate let out a pained yelp, falling backwards and dropping his sword.

Evie hissed in pain, raising a hand to her throbbing head. Oh, that was going to leave a mark. Nothing a little make-up couldn't solve. As for pirate boy...

Evie darted forward, attempting to kick away Harry's sword. Harry, still dazed from his head injury, barely managed to nab the sword and roll back into a standing position. He wobbled on his feet, his sword wavering as he pointed it at Evie.

"That was a low blow," Harry muttered, wincing as his head stung.

"I'd say it was pretty high, considering how tall you-" Evie trailed off, her eyes staring at the floor.

There were shards of red were Harry had fallen, scattered across the floor.

"Tell me that isn't-"

Harry glanced down, his eyes widening. His hand shot into his pocket. Evie could tell from the way he winced what had happened. He pulled his hand out of his pocket, revealing the small broken pieces of what had been her beautiful shell to be.

"It is," Evie finished for him, her voice dry. "Unbelievable."

_All of this for nothing!_

Evie wanted to scream in frustration. She let her sword clatter to the floor, least she do something she may not regret.

"Do you have any other shells like that one?"

"None in stock. Shells like those are rare in the Isles seas," Harry replied, dropping the remains of the shell to the floor. He grabbed a clean rag from a shelf and placed it over his bleeding wound. "I should have remembered that ye fight dirty, Princess."

Harry's feet suddenly gave out and he almost fell to the floor. Instinctively, Evie moved to help him, catching him by the arm. When she realised what she had done she dropped him. Harry hit the floor like a tonne of bricks, letting out a pained cry.

Evie winced.  _Oops._

She glanced at the pirate crumpled up on the floor. He deserved it. He really did. But...

With a sigh, Evie knelt down and helped the pirate to his feet. She put his arm over her shoulder and together they staggered over to a nearby stool where Evie forced the pirate to sit down.

"Do you have any first aid kits around here?" Evie asked, pushing back his bangs to take a look at the injury she had done. "Hmm, it's not too bad. Should heal up within a few days though you will have a nasty lump. Not my finest work, I must say."

"The first aid box is under the till," Harry mumbled, barely able to focus on her or come up with a witty retort.

Evie retrieved it and set to work cleaning the wound. She had to wonder what in Evil's name she was doing? She was a villain and this was an enemy. She should be laughing and finishing him off while she had the chance, not tending to his wound.

If her mother saw this she would-

Evie shuddered at the thought. Shame and disappointed, that's how her mother would feel, after several days of fury and rage that was. She would be dressed in rags and cleaning floors for months for this!

And yet, she continued fixing up Harry's injury.

Compassion... kindness...

Two weaknesses her mother constantly berated her about.

"Cheers," Harry said as she finished up.

Evie snapped the first aid box shut loudly.

"Don't mention it. If you're dead then you can't get me a new shell. And I better get a discount for this."

* * *

"Three hundred and fifty-one crowns. Three hundred and fifty-two crowns. Three-hundred and- oh forgot it." Evie let out a long sigh and sat up in her bed.

Her mothers never fail plan to fall asleep by counting crowns was not working tonight. Evie ran a hand down the length of her braid, glancing out at the dark sky outside her window. Why couldn't she sleep? Maybe it was just the clamminess in the air or her nervousness about starting a new semester at High school or-

Something thwacked against her window, causing her to jump.

Or maybe it was the constant thwacking noise that was keeping her awake.

Evie cast aside her blanket and made her way over to the window. What in Maleficent's name was throwing things at her window? If it was those irksome goblins again, so help them, they were going into her mother's cauldron! A girl, even one as pretty as she, needed her beauty sleep!

With an irritable grumble, Evie threw open the windows and leant out. As it turns out it wasn't goblins throwing stones at her window, nor, much to her disappointment, was it a handsome prince here to whisk her off her feet. Instead, she looked down from the third floor of her home, her eyes widening in disbelief at the sight of Harry Hook, a stone in his hand poised to be thrown. When he saw her he grinned. He dropped his stone and took off his hat, giving her a low bow.

Evie blinked, nearly about to rub her eyes in disbelief. What was he doing here?

"You're a long way from home," Evie called down, trying not to raise her voice too much, least her mother hear. If it had been a prince her mother would not have minded, but a pirate? Whole different story. "What are you doing here?"

"Would ye believe me if I said I was in the neighbourhood and decided to drop by?" Harry called up innocently.

He was wearing a leather red jacket, this one with sleeves with black thrills and lace at the end. He wore a black shirt underneath. If it wasn't for the signature black pirate hat in his hand, he could have passed off for a rather daring prince.

"Considering the time and how well we get along, no!" The sarcasm was thick in Evie's voice as she hissed down at the pirate. "Now shoo! I'm trying to sleep!"

"If it's beauty sleep you're after, believe me, ye don't need anymore."

 _Smooth moves, Romeo_ , Evie thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes, something she seemed to want to do a lot around this boy.

"That's very sweet of you, but I also don't want to be stuck with you any longer than I need to," Evie said sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

Hary put a hand to his heart in mock pain. "Ouch, ye wound me, Princess."

"I'll do more than wound you if you don't leave."

With that said, Evie went to close her window.

"Wait! I have something for ye," Harry's voice called up to her.

Evie glanced down, her dark blue braid falling over her shoulder. Harry had something balled in his fist, and with a powerful toss, it was soaring towards her window. Evie caught it. It was something wrapped in a fancy red handkerchief. When she looked back down to ask Harry what it was, he was gone.

Evie closed her windows and curtains then took a seat on her window ledge. Carefully, she unfolded the handkerchief.

Her mouth fell open.

It was a bright red shell, streams of gold running down its lines. It had been pierced slightly at the sides to allow a silver cord to run through it, making it into a necklace. At either side of the shell were two other shells, these ones blue with flecks of gold glimmering across them.

There was writing on the handkerchief, written in cursive with black ink.

_On the house._

_P.S Perhaps you might be interested in sword lessons? This Friday at six o'clock by Misery Rock? You certainly need em._

Evie ran her hand along the red shell and smiled.

Maybe she could clear her schedule for Friday. Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your opinions, thoughts or what your favourite parts were! :D
> 
> Can anyone guess why Harry asked for a thimble?
> 
> In regards to Evie helping Harry, I hope it didn't come across as out of character. I'd like to think Evie had signs of goodness in her long before she went to Auradon Prep. Mal showed subtle signs of this too when she didn't want her mother to go that extra level of being mean and evil with the candy she had stolen from the baby, the first lines of Evil Like Me when she shows conflict, and a few other signs. I wanted to show this with Evie here too. She's evil. She's mean. But, she still has good in her that fights to show itself.


	4. Fencing and Hugs

Misery Rock was a large sea pillar, connected to the Isle of the Lost via a hazardous wooden rope bridge. There were stairs carved into the rock, spiralling down to a small patch of beach surrounding three quatres of the pillar. Massive waves collided off the side of the pillar facing the sea, spraying foamy water into the air. On top of the pillar, the ground was mainly flat and grassy, a single large tree clinging to the edge of the cliff with aerial roots that resembled long fingers with talon-like nails, gripping into the dirt.

Evie could see why it was called Misery Rock. There was not a speck of colour, everything dull, brittle and slowly being eaten away by the waves. One day the pillar would completely crumble and Misery Rock would be no more.

Clutching onto her bag, Evie crossed the bridge, placing her hands and feet on it delicately. One wrong move and the ancient bridge would collapse. Evie could see through the gaps and missing planks of the walkway that it was a long way down, complete with a rather unpleasant end, jagged rocks and grizzly looking water.

She made it across the bridge safely and seeing as Harry wasn't here yet, she decided to sit by the tree. As she drew closer to it, more of its features become clear. Its dark leaves were all faded shades of brown, green and black, layers of moss draped across its gnarled branches like curtains. The centre of its trunk had been eaten into, three large holes giving it a frightful face, a twig sticking out almost like a crooked nose.

Evie frowned.

_This tree... this is-_

"So ye decided to come then, Princess?"

Even turned, Harry's voice interrupting her thoughts. He had just made his way across the bridge and was heading towards her. In his arms he carried a red wrapped up bundle, the handles of several swords sticking out from it. He placed it down on a flat boulder, rolling it open.

"What made ye come?" He asked, busying himself with preparing the swords.

"I figured it'd be useful to learn how to wield a sword."

Especially considering the number of pirates she had been running into of late. And as much as she disliked the boy, who better to teach her fencing pirate style than the son of Captain Hook?

"Is that the only reason?" Harry asked, giving her a cheeky wink.

"Well I certainly didn't come for the company," Evie said with a sweet smile. "So, are you going to teach me how to fence or are we just going to stand around all day in the cold?"

Harry got to his feet, throwing off his long sleeved red leather jacket, along with his hat, leaving them by the boulder. Evie followed his lead, disregarding her apple bag and blue leather jacket neatly on the ground, revealing her long sleeved blue t-shirt with a gold crown design. She grabbed a hair tie from her bag, pulling her waves of locks into a messy ponytail.

Harry threw her a sword.

"We'll start with the basics. First, I'll teach ye the proper stance for en guarde, then I'll teach ye to lunge, parry and riposte. And we'll see how we go from there," Harry explained, swishing the sword through the air experimentally.

"Fine with me."

* * *

Mal, Carols and Jay laughed as they ran out of Frollo's Creperie.

An employee and several disgruntled customers of the shop skidded to a stop at the doorway, shouting and shaking their fists angrily at the teenagers who had just wrecked havoc upon them and the restaurant.

The troublesome trio ran through the streets and back alleyways, sniggering, shouting and causing more mischief along the way. Anyone who happened to be walking by was pushed into a trash can, tripped up or jeered at. When they came to Pain Lane, they stopped to catch their breaths.

"Oh man, did you see Frollo's face?" Jay laughed, throwing an arm over Carlos. "Priceless!"

"It's a shame Evie wasn't there to see it! Last few days she's been missing out!" Carlos said, still grinning from the rush of excitement. "I wonder where she's been? Hey, Mal! Do you know where she's been? You did ask her to come, right?"

"I did but she said she had lessons or something. I think the mums making her re-learn the art of applying mascara," Mal said, rolling her eyes. "If she misses out it's her own fault."

The trio continued down the lane, passing by some of Mal's older graffiti on the walls. It was some of her favourite artworks, her Maleficent and Jafar Long Live Evil pieces.

None of the teenagers noticed them as they joked and knocked over trash cans in the lane. If they had they would have noticed that someone had painted over them, partly covering them with purple tentacles, silver hooks and arrows that were piercing both Maleficent and Jafar's backs.

* * *

"Now that you know the basics, let's try some fencing."

For a couple of hours, they had gone over the basics, practising the stances and a few of the different types of attacks. Holding the sword now, Evie felt far more confident than she had the first time she had picked one up. Admittedly, while trying out the stances and different attacks, she had felt rather silly, a feeling that only got worse every time Harry had to correct her stance or attempt to demonstrate an attack.

Harry was, surprisingly, a patient teacher. He never teased her when she couldn't quite pull off a move or misstepped in her stance. He only gently and firmly told her how to do it again, trying to explain it differently to see if it helped. She was right when she had guessed that he knew how to fence, his knowledge on the subject was extensive.

They took their en guarde stances, legs shoulder length apart and bent, with one foot pointing forward and other pointing to the side, making an L.

 _This is a defensive position, allowing you to attack and defend_ , Harry had told her.

Both held their swords in their dominate hands, arm not fully extended but bent.

"Just try the lunge and parry," Harry told her.

"Got it," Evie said, giving him a quick salute with her sword.

Harry brought the sword up to his face, saluting her back.

Evie advanced first, metal clashing as Harry parried the attack. He grinned as she kept the correct footing, showing more confidence as she parried his own attacks. They moved back and forth in a straight line, both advancing then retreating.

"Not bad, Princess. Yer a quick learner."

"You're a good teacher," Evie smiled, deciding that giving him a small compliment couldn't hurt. "Don't get cocky though, that's the only compliment you're getting from me."

"Give it a few more weeks and all you'll be doing is singing my praises," Harry said with a grin.

This time when he parried her attack he threw in a theatrical twirl, turning round to face her just in time to divert another one of her blows.

Over by the tree, unnoticed by both teenagers, something began to move. It slithered under the ground towards them, leaving a trail of disturbed soil above its path.

"Who was it that taught you how to fence?" Evie asked, retreating as Harry advanced. She managed to parry several of his attacks. "Your father?"

Harry's grin fell slightly.

"He did," He replied. "Be thankful it's me teaching ye and not him."

Evie was unable to block his next attack and found herself disarmed, her sword clattering to the ground. When she looked away from her sword, she found Harry's sword pointed at her throat.

"He didn't tolerate any weakness."

Evie titled her head, trying to decipher the strange look on Harry's face. She wondered what his father's lessons must have been like. She couldn't imagine Captain Hook being the most patient or understanding of teachers. Maybe that was why Harry was so patient with her.

"Well, I think we should try out the-"

"Harry your foot!"

Something long, brown and covered in dirt had twirled its way around Harrys' leg. Harry looked down and tried to yank his leg away.

"What in the- is that a root?"

The root suddenly tightened and yanked itself down, pulling Harry's leg out from under him. He slammed into the ground and was barely able to turn around onto his back before he was being dragged across the ground.

"Harry!" Evie shouted.

She grabbed her sword and bolted forward. Once she was in front of Harry she brought the sword high above her head, bringing it slicing down onto the root. The root severed in half and Harry immediately tore the remaining roots from his leg.

More roots popped out of the ground and like snakes quickly ensnared Harry's arms and legs. Evie started hacking away at them while Harry frantically pulled them off with his hands, grunting as he strained against their powerful grip.

"What is going on?" Evie gasped.

Thicker roots shot out from the ground and coiled around Evie's blade's handle, tugging it from her grasp. The roots tossed it over the cliff edge before she could snatch it back.

"Uh-oh!" Evie whispered, looking about wildly for one of the other swords. Much to her horror, she found them already in the roots grasp, being chucked into the sea. "Double uh-oh!"

"Why are they only going for me?" Harry snarled, his eyes widening as he started resembling a mummy made from tree roots more than a pirate.

"I don't know!" Evie cried, trying her best to pull as many of the roots off of Harry as she could.

The rate in which Harry was being dragged accelerated, the roots more vicious in their tugs. Evie wrapped her arms around Harry from behind, groaning as she pulled him with every ounce of strength she had.

"Where exactly are these things tryin to take me?"

"I don't- oh... I think I know but I don't think you want to," Evie murmured, her eyes landing on the culprit.

Harry looked back at her, then followed her gaze over to the tree on the edge of the cliff. His eyes widened and mouth dropped.

It was different now, far more menacing than before. The brown bark had turned jagged and dark grey. Now there truly was a face where the holes were. It had glowing amber eyes and pointed fangs dripping from its mouth.

In her surprise, Evie let go of Harry.

"I knew it!" She shouted, sounding triumphant.

"Blast it! Evie! Don't let-"

Too late his protests came. With Evie no longer pulling, the roots took the opportunity to speedily drag the angrily yelling pirate towards the snarling tree. His back was pulled up against a thick arching root before more and more roots coiled around him, slowly beginning to squeeze.

"Opps! I'm sorry! It's just that I knew what that tree was when I saw it!" Evie said, clapping her hands and sounding positively giddy. "It is one of them!"

"What?" Harry snapped, wiggling like a worm tied to a hook as he tried to free himself.

"This tree is from the Haunted Forest," Evie replied, a beaming smile on her face. "Just like the ones that Snow White encountered! My mother told me all about them! I wonder how it got here?"

"I don't care what it is or how it got here! Just get it to let go of me!"

"Oh, right. Umm-" Evie placed a finger on her lip as she pondered. "Sorry got caught up in the-"

"Evie, do something! This thing is... squeezing... the life out of me!"

Evie looked around, desperately searching for anything to cut through the roots. But with all the swords thrown over the cliff, what in Evil's name could she do?

_Oh, what did mother tell me about these trees?_

From what she could remember the trees of the haunted forest came to life to torment those who were lost, helpless, and pure of heart. All of which Harry was none of. So why was the tree attacking him? And if it was attacking him why not her? She certainly felt helpless right now and that was meant to be an incentive to them. Her mother had said the trees had never bothered her when she went for walks in the forest. She claimed they doted on her, seeing her as a fellow wretched heart of darkness.

_If they liked mother, then maybe they might like me._

If her hunch was right, that might explain why she was being spared the tree hug from hell. This could literally be one of the trees her mother had met in the Haunted Forest, not just some blown away seed that had landed on the Isle.

 _Maybe I inherited my mother's ability to be loved by... evil haunted trees?_  If that was something that could be passed down the gene line that was.

Left with no other choice or theories, Evie decided to test out her hunch. She ran to stand in front of the trees face. Its yellow eyes darted towards her, it's mouth ceasing it's growing.

"Um..." What did one call an evil possessed tree from a haunted forest? "Mr Tree... I don't suppose you could-"

"Mr Tree!" Harry practically shrieked, sounding furious. "Are ye seriously tryin to talk to that glorified driftwood!"

The tree's branches visible tightened around Harry, the fangs in the trees mouths extending further down as it hissed at the boy in its clutches. The trunk practically lurched forward, trying to get closer to the pirate. Harry grit his teeth, no longer able to move his body. Small tentacle-like roots were now slithering up his neck.

 _Great idea, Harry! Insult the evil tree trying to kill you,_ Evie thought with a roll of her eyes.

Eve cleared her throat, bringing the trees attention back to her. She noticed its gaze visibly softened upon looking at her. She took that as evidence that her hunch might be right.

"Mr Tree, could you please let my..."

Evie floundered about for a word to describe her relationship with Harry. If she was right then the tree wouldn't release Harry if she addressed him as an enemy. Letting an enemy of hers goes would seem preposterous to it.

"My... friend, go?" She winced at how pathetic she had sounded.

The tree turned its eyes to the boy then back to her, giving her a rather sceptical scowl.

"I know, I usually I have much better taste in friends, but-"

"Hey!"

"It is true. Besides, friend or not if he's dead he can't teach me fencing."

 _Wait_ _a second, the fencing! I wonder if that's why the tree attacked, Harry?_  Evie pondered.

Perhaps this wasn't just the haunted tree leaving her be because it possibly liked her. No, it was protecting her! If the trees of the haunted forest were as charmed by her mother as her mother always said they were, which was why they had never attacked her when she had gone to the forest back in her homeland, then it could be that this tree was just looking out for her. It recognised her as being The Evil Queens daughter and was looking out for her child's well-being. Harry may be a villain whom they always offered safe passage to, but she was the daughter of someone they admired deeply, and it looked like he was threatening her.

A large scratch above one of the trees eyes lifted, as though it were raising an eyebrow at her in question.

 _It doesn't believe me,_  Evie thought, panic slowly rising in her. At the corner of her eye, she could see Harry practically turning blue from the lack of wasn't sure what she could do to convince it. And she didn't don't think saying pretty please would work.  _Oh, what would_ _mother_ _do? She would... she would... act like an evil queen._

Evie dropped all politeness, narrowing her eyes and putting on a scowl that could send even Maleficent's goblins running. She placed her hands on her hips, straightened her back and stared the tree down. She couldn't help feeling a wicked thrill run down her spine when the tree's eyes widened, looking startled at her sudden change in demeanour.

"Let him go,  _now_!" Her voice was harsh and snappish, demanding absolute obedience.

The tree's trunk recoiled away from her, it's face looking frightened. She heard Harry gasp, finally able to breathe as the tree retracted its network of roots. She nearly said thank you but managed to catch her tongue. These trees were evil incarnate and may still turn on her if she didn't show she was just as cruel as her mother.

She went over to Harry, making sure not to seem too eager to check on him.

"I think the tree thought you were trying to hurt me," Evie explained, kneeling down next to him. The majority of the roots had unwoven themselves from his body. "That's why it was trying to kill you."

"Ye have got to be kidding me," Harry panted, glaring at the tree. "Well, I think it's better if we practise somewhere else from now on."

"Oh no, it should be fine practising here. The tree won't hurt you anymore," She rose her voice, making sure the tree could hear her. She glanced at it over her shoulder, giving it an icy glare. "Will you?"

The tree ruffled its leaves, shaking its trunk.

"See," Evie said, smiling.

"Unbelievable," Harry muttered to himself, shaking his head. "Ye know what, Princess? Why is it whenever you're around me, I always end up injured or nearly dead."

"What? When have you-"

"In the last two days alone I was pushed into shark infested waters, brought to the ground by a well-aimed knee-" He narrowed his eyes at the memory, still resentful about that particular wound, "-received a rather nasty bruise to the head and now I was nearly strangled to death by a tree!"

"Excuse you, but you made  _me_ walk the plank into shark-infested waters first, and combined with the fact you stole  _my_ tiara, that knee jerk was well-deserved. The bruise you got was because  _you_ wanted to sword fight and the tree was not my fault! Evie huffed, crossing her arms. "Trust me, if I wanted you dead I'd come up with a more interesting way than-"

There was a creaky groan from the tree, that sounded like a growl.

"I mean-" Evie hesitated. "Getting killed by a totally wicked awesome evil tree is far too good a death for someone like you."

The creaky sound that came from the tree this time sounded almost like a satisfied purr.

When she turned her gaze back to Harry he looked less than impressed by her pandering to the tree.

"Do you want it to try and hug the life out of you again?" Evie whispered. "Come on, I think that's enough lessons for today."

She helped Harry to his feet, allowing him to drape an arm over her shoulders for support. He was still panting heavily and standing up caused him to wince painfully. She could tell his whole body was aching from having been constricted so tightly. Those haunted trees certainly packed a punch. Snow White was lucky she was such a fast runner.

They rested by the boulder where Harry had left his things, giving him time to regain his breath before they attempted to cross the bridge. Evie collected her things from the tree, bidding it a quick farewell before returning to Harry's side. Harry was ready by the time she got back to him.

"Well let's go," Harry said. "It'll be fun explaining to ma dad what happened to those swords."

Evie winced. She didn't think his dad would be too pleased with the swords fate.

They made it over to the other side of the bridge. From there, it was a short walk to the crossing where they would have to part ways.

"So, same time next week?" Evie asked.

Despite the tease in her voice, she was serious. The tree incident aside, she had enjoyed the lesson. The jury was still out on whether or not she liked Harry's company, but there was no denying that he was a good teacher. She didn't think any of the other potential fencing teachers on the Isle would be quite as patient as him.

"After all that and ye still want to learn how to fence?" Harry said, laughing.

"Why not? Maybe by the end of this, we can have a proper sword fight."

Harry grinned.

"I'll hold ye to that, Princess."

One day they would look back on that promise, and wish for the world they had not made it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While fencing they reeeeally should be wearing safety gear but I don't think Captain Hook or pirates would have trained with all that gear.
> 
> I think the trees that Snow White encounters in the Haunted Forest just seem scary as she's afraid, rather than being real creatures. However, for this story, I'm going to go with an interpretation of them as being nightmarish trees that are actually alive. They're friendly to Evie as they were her mother. Another reason I wanted to add the tree was that I wanted more elements of Evie's mother's movie in the story, as I've been using a lot of Peter Pan's. I want a good mix of the two.
> 
> I wonder what Mal will think when she finds out a certain pirate crew have ruined her graffiti?


	5. Guests

_Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?_

With a smile Evie leant in closer to her vanity table mirror, gingerly applying her mascara.

It was Friday and she was getting ready for her next lesson with Harry. So far she had had three lessons with him and surprisingly they had gone off rather well. The only issue was that the haunted tree - whom Evie had decided to call Hauntie - was proving to be a little  _too_  protective of her.

Whenever Harry disarmed or teased her he would receive a threatening snarl from the haunted tree or a thwack on the head with an arm like branch. It would only back off after Evie scolded it. However, the moment her back was turned it would immediately go after Harry again.

During their last session, Harry had managed to deck her, which had resulted in extreme repercussions from Hauntie when Evie had not been looking. It had managed to coil a root around Harry's leg before flinging him straight into the sea! When Harry had finally managed to make it back up to the top of the pillar, it led to a rather comical argument between a tree and a dripping wet, fuming pirate.

Evie giggled as she dwelled on that day. It safe to say Harry had not been impressed and was now scouting out new locations for them to practice.

 _Let's see_ , Evie thought to herself, looking through her neatly arranged makeup products on the table.  _Where is my concealer?_

"Evie!" Her mother's voice sung from somewhere downstairs. "You have guests!"

Evie turned towards her door.

_Guests? Who could that-_

Evie jumped when the door flung open, banging loudly off the wall.

Mal barged into the room, Carlos and Jay following after her, bickering away and shoving at each other.

"Evie, get dressed! We have a problem."

"What's wrong?" Evie asked, turning back to her mirror. She kept eye contact with Mal via the reflection as she continued applying her makeup. "You seem really stressed. If you keep frowning like that you're going to cause yourself wrinkles."

Mal rolled her eyes, placing one hand on her hip.

"We don't have time for makeup, Evie! Now I need you all to listen! Uma and her crew have declared war on us."

That warranted Mal Evie's full attention. She placed her makeup utensils down, spinning around in her seat to face the girl fully. This could not be good. There had always been tensions between Uma's crew and their gang, mainly rooting from Mal and Uma's bittered friendship. The girls had once been the best of friends before something hammered a wedge between the two, causing a schism that warped into tense rivalry and hatred. What it was Mal had never said.

Over by her four postered canopy bed with it's glittering blue curtains, Carlos and Jay had halted their tussle. Carlos sat down on the bed, legs crossed while Jay stood beside him, leaning back against one of the bed's posts. They watched Mal with great interest, waiting for her to continue.

"I went to re-paint my signature marks up on Pain Lane but someone had painted over them! All pirate themed. Purple tentacles. Bows and Arrows. And hooks. Now, who do those logos belong to?" Mal hissed, her eyes flaring bright green. "Uma, Harry and Gil! They came onto our turf and messed with  _my_ graffiti!"

Everyone else winced. The quickest way to rile up Mal was to mess with her artwork.

"So what do you wanna do about it?" Jay asked.

"Get payback, of course. That's what we do!"

"Is this really such a great idea?" Carlos asked, seeming hesitant.

The look Mal gave Carlos could have wilted a flower.

Until recently, Evie and Carlos had been on the same boat. They had become friends with Mal and Jay long after their battles with Uma's crew had started. It was a war that until now had been calm, so Evie and Carlos had never found themselves in direct confrontation with the other group. There was no hiding the obvious, Carlos was nervous, and after Evie's recent run in with them when she had gone to steal back her tiara from their ship, she knew that his worries were justified.

Uma and her friends were not to be messed with lightly.

"We are the children of the most feared villains in the world! If our parents found out someone had disrespected us like this and got it away with it-" Mal trailed off, leaving the unsaid terrifying consequences to hang in the air like a guillotine blade waiting to drop.

"It's not like they'll find out," Carlos replied, though this time his voice held more than a nervous edge to it.

Mal's threat had startled him.

"You really think they don't have their goons occasionally trailing us to keep an eye on us?" Mal snapped. "They don't trust us not to ruin their reputations!"

Evie cast her eyes to the floor, the truth of that statement weighing down on her.

"Now, we're going to go to Goblin Warf and find Uma's ship!"

"What are we going to do once we find it?" Evie asked.

She was not quite ready to let them know that she knew exactly what ship belonged to Uma and that she knew where it was docked. That would lead to questions that may lead them to discover her rendezvousing with a certain pirate. That was one can of worms she did not want to open, especially not right now when tempers were rising.

Mal smirked evilly, pulling a purple spray can from her bag.

"Get even."

* * *

By the time they had finished enacting their revenge and had returned back to their separate homes, it was early morning. Her mother would be sound asleep, so Evie had to tip toe down the corridors of the castle, lest she disturb her. Waking her mother up while she was having her beauty sleep was a major no-no, that could end up with her being locked up in a tower with the key thrown away.

Evie pulled off her jacket as she entered her room, tossing it over her chair as she walked by it. With a sigh she flopped down on her Queen size bed, mumbling nonsensically into her pillow.

Tonight should have been a wicked night of mischievous delight, so why did she feel so miserable?

It felt like there was a heavy weight on her chest, making her feel sick. She had a suspicion she knew what it was but knew she had no right to feel that way. Guilty was not a feeling villains had, ever.

So what? She had missed her lesson with Harry to wreck havoc on his ship. Was it underhanded? Yes. Was it taking advantage of him, vandalising his ship when she was certain he would not be there? Definitely. But that was the kind of things bad kids did. Besides, he and his darling little friends had started this by provoking Mal. This was payback. Nothing more.

Despite all that, she should not have to try and justify herself. They were villains, they did what they wanted. Yet even those reassuring thoughts that she and her friends were perfectly within their right to take such action still didn't displace that looming horrible feeling in her chest.

 _No, you're just upset because you were enjoying the fencing lessons. That's all,_ Evie thought gloomily, trying to convince herself.

The thought of their fencing lessons only brought a new wave of misery over her. She knew the chances of Harry wanting to continue their lessons was next to none once he found out what she had done.

Evie let out a forlorn wail into her pillow.

A rhythmic knocking on her window pulled her out of her wallowing.

Evie pushed herself up, staring at the window.

There was only one person who seemed fond of throwing things at her window...

Was it possible he knew what she and the others had done already? Uma and Gil had not been at the ship tonight and according to some strangers on the harbour that they had interrogated, Uma, Gil and Harry tended to stay with their parents on Friday nights. It should not be until some time later on in the day that they found out what had happened. Surely, after he realised she was not coming to Misery Rock, he had gone straight to his father's home and not to his own ship?

Evie dragged herself from her bed, making her way over to the window. When she pulled open the curtains the only thing that stopped her screaming and waking up the entire castle was the quickness of her hand flying up to cover her mouth.

Harry had not been throwing things at her window, he had been chapping it with his knuckles! Somehow, Tarzan only knows how, he had managed to scale the three storeys to reach her room.

He was sitting on the window ledge with his arms crossed, one leg bent up on the ledge while the other dangled over the drop. The colour red, which in the last few weeks Evie had come to associate strongly with this pirate, seemed much bolder against the black backdrop of the night sky and surrounding shadowy forests. His dark eyes met hers, and she could tell from the sour expression on his face he was not in the best of moods.

Well, she couldn't really blame him.

"Let me in," Harry said, his voice slightly muffled through the glass.

 _Not by the hairs of my chinny chin chin,_ Evie thought warily.

"Depends, why are you here?" Evie asked, raising her voice so he could hear her.

He looked at her a little surprised as if he expected her to know the answer already. Which she did, sort of. She knew two possible reasons why he might be here and neither of them were good. Either he had seen the damage to his ship and had come for revenge or he was here to confront her about not showing up tonight. Which was his true motive? She wasn't sure yet, but she wasn't in a hurry to find out.

"To ask why ye left me waiting for nearly two hours with that blasted, haunted tree!" Harry snapped.

 _Ah, so the second reason._  If he knew about the ship she was sure that would have been the first thing he brought up.

Figuring she was safe on that account, for now, Evie decided to unlock the window.

_You're lucky my window open both ways._

Once the window was open, Harry threw his legs into the room but remained seated on the ledge. His eyes scanned the room and for a moment his annoyance at being left waiting vanished, a small smile replacing it. It was gone in a moment, the scowl set firmly back in place.

"So, care to explain yerself?"

Evie folded her arms across her chest, feeling a little uncomfortable under that intense gaze of his, filled with accusation. Normally she would not have flinched, but that guilty feeling was making it more than a little difficult. She cast her gaze downwards and it landed on his hand, she noticed he wasn't wearing his fake hook today.

"I couldn't make it," She said simply. "My mother wouldn't let me leave the house. Beauty malfunction."

It sounded like a lame excuse but it was one that had kept her barred into the castle many a time. She didn't have to add that she had no way of letting him know that she couldn't make it. There weren't exactly phones on the Isle.

Harry looked at her through narrowed eyes and she could tell he was weighing up whether or not she was lying.

"Yer mother wouldn't let you out the house... because of a beauty malfunction?" He sounded dubious.

"Have you met my mother?" Evie snapped, lifting her head and quirking an eyebrow. "My mother tried to have Snow White's heart carved out because a magic mirror said she was fairer than her. You really think she's going to let her daughter leave the house less than perfect?"

Putting it as straight forward as that made Harry reconsider. She could see the constrained anger he had felt at being ditched begrudgingly drain away from his face, signally to her that he had bought the lie.

Mother always said that the best lies were the ones with a sprinkle of truth in them.

"Fair enough," Harry said, shrugging.

A small rush of relief raced through Evie, one that she knew would not last. Sooner or later Harry would find out what she had done. All she was doing was delaying the inevitable. She kept trying to reassure herself that it didn't matter if he found out, but for some reason, she knew that it did.

"So," Harry drawled, and it was the sound of amusement in his voice that snapped Evie's attention back to him, "this is yer bedroom?"

"Yes, it is," Evie said warily, narrowing her eyes at him, "and no, I don't do tours. You can leave now, the way you came."

Harry grinned playfully, pushing himself off from the window sill.

"Wow! What are you doing? No! Out!"

Evie made to grab for him but he danced away from her grasp, waltzing over to her bed.

"Come on, Princess. Ye saw ma room so it's only fair I get to see yers."

"I don't care what you think is fair. The only reason I was in your room to begin with was to take back what you had stolen! Now get out! If my mother finds you here..."

Evie's words faded when she noticed Harry had picked something up from her bed.

_Oh no... not..._

"A prince teddy bear? Really?"

Harry held up the teddy in question, Prince Villany, dressed in his dashing black armour, a small shield on his back and a sword in his paw. Harry shook the bear violently.

Evie gasped at the cruel treatment of her beloved stuffed animal. It had been a gift from her mother, the only thing she had ever given her that had nothing to do with her appearance. Furious, Evie stomped her foot and made a beeline for the pirate before she snatched the bear off of him. He laughed mockingly as she cradled the bear close to her chest.

"And ye had the cheek to tease me about my pirate parrot? Which, by the way, I don't sleep with. It was a present from Mama Hook. It just so happened to be on ma bed when ye invaded."

"I'm sure," Evie replied dryly, not buying it for a second. "Mama Hook?"

"Ma grandmother," Harry explained.

His dark eyes flickered behind her then widened. Evie narrowed her own. What had he seen now? The only thing behind her was-

_Oh, no! My wardrobe!_

Harry made his way past her, practically bolting directly for her walk in wardrobe. Evie scrambled to beat him to it but it he was already there, swinging the doors wide open despite her shrill protests.

"Split ma infinitives," Harry gasped, looking into the seemingly endless wardrobe, filled with hundreds of outfits, all ironed and hung up. "Is Narnia in there?"

Evie tried to squeeze by him, to get in front of him to block him from seeing any more than he already had. She tried pushing, shoving and pulling him back by his arms but no matter how hard she tried to get by him she found it fruitless.

_Stupid, over muscled ruffian!_

Trying to move him was like trying to move a wall with your bare hands.

"Ye have more clothes and accessories than me!"

Harry allowed her to push him out of the way then. Evie wiggled by and grabbed the door handles, slamming them shut. She kept her back up against it, making sure it stayed that way. She gave the pirate a dirty glare but from the look on Harry's face, it was obvious it didn't phase him. He was enjoying himself far too much for that.

"A girl has to be prepared for every occasion," Evie gritted out, blowing a stray strand of hair from her face.

"Ye have enough clothes in their to dress a small army," Harry said with a laugh. "Now I know where most of the Isles fashion supplies go."

Evie huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

Harry walked away, slowly taking in the rest of her room.

"Ye certainly like the colour blue," He commented. "There's more blue in here than the ocean."

Almost everything in her room was some shade of blue, the carpet, the curtains, her bed sheets and seat covers. In Evie's opinion, it was perfect. A princess could never be surrounded by too much blue.

"It's my favourite colour," Evie supplied.

"I had a feeling it might be," Harry laughed, making his back to her bed. He threw himself down on it, folding his arms behind his head like an extra pillow. He gave the bed a few experimental bounces. "How can ye sleep in this bed? It's way too soft."

"Better than a cheap hammock," Evie retorted.

Harry closed his eyes, tilting his hat down to cover his face. "Yer missing out, Princess."

For a bed that he apparently found too soft, he was certainly getting rather comfortable on it. If he thought he could barge in here, invade her privacy and fall asleep on her bed then he had another thing coming!

Evie crept over to the side of the bed, quietly reaching for one of the pillows. She clutched it in both hands, bringing it above her head.

"Oh Harry," Evie drawled far too sweetly for someone up to anything other than no good. "I have something for you."

"And what's-"

Harry had barely managed to lift his hat to look at the girl when he was struck in the face with a pillow. Evie lashed out again, striking him as many times as she could.

"This is for stealing my tiara!"

Thwack!

"This is for making me walk the plank!"

Thwack! Thwack!

"This is for being the most irksome, frustrating, haughty boy I have ever met!"

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Harry floundered about, tossing aside his hat in the commotion. He gave up trying to shield himself from Evie's attack, deciding to start his own counter strike. He dove across the bed, snatching the other pillow. Evie let out a shriek as he began hitting her with it.

"I'm starting to think ye might be holding a few grudges against me, Princess," Harry said in between clashes of their pillows.

"Whatever-" Evie ducked, Harry's pillow narrowly missing her head. "-Gave you that impression?"

After only a few seconds there was a puff of white as Evie's pillow exploded, feathers flying everywhere. The feathers floated down around them, sticking in their hair and their clothes and layering the bed. They both burst out laughing, Evie falling over onto the bed and curling up on herself as Harry continued his pillow assault.

Now defenceless, Evie was left with one option.

Attack.

She tackled Harry, sending them both crashing onto the bed. Neither of them stopped laughing as they tussled for the last pillow, their bouncing sending feathers swooshing all around them.

"Give me the pillow. It's mine!"

"Ye want it?" Harry said with a smirk. "Then go get it."

He tossed it across the room, ending the dispute.

"Spoilsport," Evie huffed.

It was then she noticed their rather awkward position, with her lying on top of him. Harry was grinning up at her and she could feel the blood rush to her cheeks. Embarrassed, she rolled of off him and got off the bed, trying to compose herself as she straightened up her clothes.

"Well as fun as this has been," Harry said sincerely, "I'd better be off. Ma Dad might start to wonder where I am. "

She felt a little dishearted by the doubt in his voice, wondering if it meant that he didn't really believe his Dad cared that much about whether he came home or not. The love villains had for their children was not always obvious or clear, and often it left them all wondering if it was even there at all.

Harry pulled himself into a sitting position on the bed, resting his hands on knees.

"Try and make it to next weeks lesson, alright. Don't expect me to wait around all day for ye ag-" He cut himself off, looking away from her, slightly embarrassed.

She was pretty sure he had been about to say again. Which meant he had waited all day for her at Misery Rock. That heavy weight of guilt, which she had forgotten about with all the carry on they had been having in her room, suddenly dropped down on her like a tonne of bricks. She wondered how long he had actually waited until he gave up, and why he bothered to wait so long?

"Harry, about the lessons..."

Harry turned his gaze back to her, a frown forming on his face at her quiet tone.

"What about them?" He asked guardedly.

"I don't think... I think-" Evie sighed. "I think they're a bad idea. And I don't mean bad in a good way. I mean bad in a-"

"I got what ye meant," Harry cut in before she could get herself into a tizzy. "But I don't agree. We're having fun, aren't we?"

Tentatively, she nodded.

It was curiosity and a little desire for some excitement, which her past experiences with Harry had definitely provided, that lured her into accepting his first invitation to fencing lessons. But what kept her coming back was more than that. She enjoyed her time at Misery Rock. And after tonight, she dared to say she enjoyed Harry's company. If only a little.

"So what's the problem?" Harry asked, arms spreading wide. "As long as we want to hang out together what does it matter?"

"Our friends don't get along," Evie replied quietly, her eyes seeking his. _Heck, even we don't get along a lot of the time._ "If they find out we're hanging out-"

She trailed off. He didn't need her to say what would happen. They both knew it too well.

"And what will they do?" He drawled, sounding amused.

Or maybe not.

_Guess we're not on the same page. How can he not know?_

"They'll be furious!" Evie almost yelled. "Mal and Jay have been rivals with you and your crew for years. They'll see us being...  _friends_ , as a complete betrayal."

As imperfect as her little group of friends may be, she cherished it. Sometimes they may not get along, they may bicker, be mean or untrusting, but they always stuck together and had each other's backs. Hurting them was not something she wanted to do. And losing them was too upsetting to think about.

There was also the little matter of her not wanting to be a target in one of their vendettas either.

"We live on a small Isle. There's bound to be a few friends we have that are friends with a few of our enemies, it's a given. I'm sure Uma will get over it, same with Gil."

That was all well and fine for him, but her friends may not be so understanding. Carlos might, but Mal and Jay weren't the forgiving sorts. Much like their parents, they held grudges and were more than happy to take down anyone who dared associate with their foes.

"Besides," Harry continued, "ye haven't exactly done anything to earn a place on their hit list, so they have no real reason to hold a grudge against ye. So, us spending time together, from my friends perspective, I doubt it'll be an issue."

Evie winced.

_Umm... actually... that's not quite true anymore._

If anything she had probably jumped straight to the top of their hit list after the stunt she had just pulled with the others.

"And to be frank, who I hang around with is my business and none of theirs."

For the second time that night, Evie could not hold his gaze and turned away.

Harry noticed she was still conflicted and sighed.

"How about this then," Harry said, pulling out a fancy white velvet handkerchief. He passed it over to Evie, who took it gingerly with a frown of confusion. "A truce. When we go to Misery Rock, we'll continue as we have been, learning to fence. We'll leave behind all bad feelings that we may have. No trying to get revenge for any stunts we pull on each other so long as we're there. We'll keep our meetings secret from our friends, to save any animosity and hassle. Does that sound alright to ye?"

Evie clutched the white handkerchief, a potential symbol of a truce between them if she agreed.

"I do hope this is a clean handkerchief," Evie said teasingly, trying to break the serious tension that had settled.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"If ye don't want it-" He reached to take it away from her but Evie held it away from his grasp. "Is that a yes to the truce then? Or do ye just really like that handkerchief?"

"Well, to be honest, you do have really nice handkerchiefs," Evie said with a smile.

They shared a laugh, but the somberness did not wane.

Evie smoothed out the piece of cloth in her hand, admiring the tiny gold stitch design boarding it. It was as good as hoisting the white flag. If she accepted it then they could continue how they had been, meeting up by Misery Rock and practising to fence.

Going through with this was a big risk. If Mal and the others found out, then her way of life here on the Isle could be forever shaken. She could lose her friends, gaining new enemies in their place who could make her life hellish. And despite Harry's nonchalant attitude in regards to the issue, these were consequences he could face too.

"Come on, Evie," Harry said quietly. "Live a little. It could be an awfully big adventure."

Harry offered her his hand.

Was it worth the risk? She didn't know. But before she knew what she was doing her hand was in his. Harry smiled, giving her hand the smallest of squeezes.

Evie really hoped it was worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun. Dun. Duuuuuuuun~* Some drama, some fluff and some angst! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for taking the time to read it!
> 
> So Evie and Harry will be continuing to meet up, despite Evie's concerns about her friends finding out. Although I haven't had the chance to read them yet, I know a bit about Mal and Evie's history in the books. So taking that into consideration there are good reasons why Evie is nervous about losing her friends and making enemies of them. I think after the Descendants movie they would be much more understanding, but at this point before their redemptions, all bets are off.
> 
> Harry doesn't seem too concerned about his friends finding out but he also doesn't know what Evie and her friends have done to his ship yet.


	6. Boyfriend!

"You know, I'm all for a little bit of misbehaviour," Evie said conversationally. "But really? Wrecking Frollo's Creperie? What were you guys thinking? They sell the best crepes and milkshakes on the whole Isle and now we can't go there!"

"Yeah," Carlos drawled, wincing at the unthought of repercussions, "we weren't really thinking about the long-term consequences on that one."

The pair were sitting outside the Slop Shop, a cafe in the centre of town. It was a dark and medieval looking store that favoured a purple and green colour scheme. Outside the cafe, positioned to overlook the dried up and decrepit water fountain in the town square were several wooden seats and tables with purple ripped umbrellas.

The shop itself, as well as the beverages and food that they sold, were attractive to most of the Isles residents. It was the less than pleasant staff that was the turn off for potential customers. The place was owned and ran by Maleficent's goblins, who were not known for their hospitality. When they weren't being rude to their customers, they were playing pranks on them instead. It was for these reasons that Evie wasn't fond of the place, but it was the next best cafe after Frollo's Creperie - which said a lot about the establishments here on the Isle. She and Carlos had also desperately needed a drink to cool down after the trying day they had had.

So far they had gone through half the stores in town. Evie had been helping Carlos find supplies for a House of Villians party that his mother was going to throw at Hell Hall for a few of her close friends. Although Cruella De Vil would be hosting, everything was left to Carlos to arrange. Finding the needed things wouldn't have been so bad if Cruella hadn't insisted on all the decorations being spotted and Halloween themed.

"But hey, if you'd been there maybe you could have talked some sense into us," Carlos continued with a shrug, taking a noisy slurp of his drink.

"Oh, no! Don't try and throw the blame on to me! Just because you guys didn't think before you acted."

Carlos laughed.

"Anyway, thanks for helping me out with the shopping list," Carlos said with a smile. "Are you sure you're up for coming to the party? Like, I get it if you don't want to, considering what happened last time we had a party at my house."

Evie shivered at the memory. The last party she had attended at Hell Hall had been part of a devious ploy by Mal, back before they had become friends. It hadn't gone well for her and even till this day she still avoided going anywhere near Hell Hall if she could.

"Don't worry, Carlos, I'll be fine," Evie smiled. "Besides, I've already started making my costume! Wait till you see it! It's perfect!"

"Let me guess," Carlos faked pondered, tapping his finger off his chin. "I'm going with either a Princess or a Queen."

The smile on Evie's face dropped.

 _How did he guess?_  Evie thought, astonished.

Was she that predictable? Then again, whenever there was a party, regardless of whether it was a dress up one or not, she always went as a Princess, tiara and all. Heck, just casually going outside she dressed like a Princess. Maybe it was time to shake up her costume ideas a bit. Just this once couldn't hurt.

"Oh please, as if I would be that obvious," Evie said with a laugh that was too shaky to be sincere. "You'll just have to wait and find out."

"Well, I can't wait to see," Carlos said. He looked down at his watch and frowned. "I better get going. I've got some chores to do before I get dinner started." Carlos stood up, filling his arms up with bags. "I'll see you later."

Evie watched Carlos scurry off with his heavy load of shopping. The poor boy had his work cut out for him. She couldn't even help him out anymore tonight as later on she was expected to join her mother, Maleficent and Mal for dinner at their home. She hoped that Jay would at least offer Carlos a hand, but the chances of that were slim.

With a sigh, Evie lifted her milkshake. She was about to capture the straw between her teeth when a leather-clad hand came into her vision, snatching away her milkshake. She gasped, swirling around in her seat with the intent to yell at the thief, only to stop when she heard an all too familiar voice.

"I'll take that."

"Harry?" Evie gasped.

The pirate plopped himself down onto the seat that Carlos had occupied. There was a large grin on his face, yet despite it, Evie felt there was something slightly off about him, a seriousness replacing the usual mischevious and playful air around him.

"Thanks for the drink," he said.

He held the milkshake in the air, silently toasting it before he leant back, seemingly at perfect ease as he began drinking her milkshake.

"Hey, that was my-" Evie didn't bother to finish that statement as mid-way through it Harry had slurped up the remaining milkshake and tossed the emptied container behind him. "You finished it already? Seriously?"

"There was hardly anything in it," he said with a shrug.

"It was still mine! And I was enjoying it!" Evie huffed.

Harry crossed his arms, kicking his legs up into the table to rest. Evie scowled at him, crossing her own arms as she glared at him. At that moment, a goblin waiter approached them. It had come to chase them away, the goblins of the Slop Shop being infamous for their displeasure at having anyone stay at the shop once they were finished their food and drinks. Before it could get anywhere near them, Harry gave the creature a dark scowl, causing it to gulp and make a hasty retreat.

"How are ye, Princess?" Harry asked, turning his attention back to Evie.

"I was fine until you showed up!" Evie snapped.

"Funny, I was fine too until I got to Uma's ship."

Oh. Here were those consequences she had been avoiding last night. Harry looked at her, his eyes simmering with the rage that lurked beneath like a blood-thirsty shark under the dark blue depths. There was no humour in the smirk on his face, it was cold and malicious. This wasn't the Harry who she fenced with every Friday night, nor was it the grinning boy full of mischief. This was the son of Captain Hook, who knew he had you on the hook and was slowly railing you in before he sliced you to pieces.

"Sails ripped. Deck and hull spray painted. Uma and Gil's room filled with trash," Harry said harshly, his tone rising with every sin he named.

Never had Evie sat so still, so quiet and so miserable as someone listed off her ill deeds. She wasn't proud of what she had done, not this time. She felt ashamed. Last night, after Harry had left, she had spent most of the night trying to work out why she felt that way and now she knew.

She didn't think of Harry as an enemy or a teacher anymore. She considered him a friend.

Lots of villains were fond of back-stabbing and hurting their friends and allies, but not Evie. Once someone was her friend they were no longer viable for any sinister misconduct or evil pranks. She may jest or play innocent practical jokes on them from time to time, but never anything that could hurt them.

Vandalising Harry and his friend's ship was something that did just that. She didn't know much about the history of the ship, of how they came to own it, or what it meant to them, but it didn't take an evil genius to figure out that it was important to them.

Harry watched Evie's reaction carefully and when no reply came from her he let out a frustrated sigh.

"Well, I take back what I said last night about Uma and Gil minding us hanging out. After what ye did, they might be a  _little_  miffed."

Sorry, was on the tip of her tongue, but of course, she couldn't say it. Even if they lived in a society where saying that was acceptable and not deemed a weakness her pride rebelled against the idea. He and his friends had made an attack against Mal, that was why they had done it. It was revenge, plain and simple.

"What did you expect?" Evie asked quietly. She straightened herself up and leant her arms on top of the table. "You and your friends ruined Mal's graffiti. Did you think you were just going to get off scot-free? That we wouldn't retaliate?  _You_  lot started it this time, not us."

Harry turned his glare away from her, tapping his fingers irritably against his folded arms. She could tell he was furious, yet for whatever reason, against everything she had been told about how fearsome his temper was when invoked, she was surprised to find that he was trying to calm it.

"As a fellow villain... I'll concede the point," Harry gritted out.

It was clearly taking him a lot of restraint to bite down his anger, but once he seemed to have it under a tight reign he returned his gaze back to her. When he next spoke, his voice was softer, but his words reminded her that the consequences were long from over.

"As a friend, I'll remind ye... we will have to get ye's back for that."

Evie nodded, understanding that they were now locked in a vicious cycle, one that wouldn't stop until the other group backed down. Even then all bets were off. This was most likely the main reason he was containing his anger, as he knew sooner or later, he and his crew would have their chance at getting revenge against her and the others.

Harry took in a deep breath, some of the tension leaving his body.

"Though I have to say, it did look awfully suspicious that ma room was one of the only rooms spared from being turned into a landfill. Why was that?"

If he was expecting a sweet answer that she had been looking out for him and refused to let her friends trash it, he was in for disappointment.

"Not what you think," Evie drawled, wincing as she knew the answer would not improve his mood. "Jay and Carlos were going to trash your room but it was already such a mess they thought the other had already wrecked it."

The indignant look on Harry's face almost made her laugh.

She knew there was nothing Harry could retort with, after all, his room really was a shambles.

A flash of purple caught Evie's eye, causing her to turn around. Panic snatched at her heart and her body tensed, the small smile on her face fading as she saw Mal and Jay having just turned the corner onto the street. The were across the square, partly hidden behind the fountain.

Harry, confused by her sudden change in demeanour, turned to see what had put her on edge.

"We need to go, now!" Evie jumped to her feet. She didn't think they had seen her yet. If they were quick they could slip away unseen. "What are you waiting for? A written invite? Let's go!"

Harry gave her an unimpressed look.

"The day I run from the likes of those two is the day my Dad tap dances with a crocodile."

"Harry, if they see us together- Oh forget it!" Evie let out a frustrated growl and shoved his feet off the table. She grabbed his hand, yanking him out the seat before he could protest. "Move it! We don't have time for this!"

She pulled him away, leading him through the cafe, pushing by waiters and kitchen staff to get out through the back door. She didn't stop once they were out the back alley, taking them down different morbidly named back streets until finally reaching a bustling street filled with shops. With a tired sigh, she stopped, resting her back against a wall.

"Ye know," Harry panted, equally exhausted from trying to keep up with Evie, "if ye wanted me alone all ye had to do was-"

"Unless you want to be smothered in your sleep, I wouldn't finish that sentence," Evie snapped, her voice sounding breathless.

Harry grinned, leaning his head back against the wall.

She hoped Mal and Jay hadn't seen them when they had made their hasty escape. If they had it was game over. Everything was going to change and she wasn't ready for it.

"EVIE!"

Evie nearly jumped out her skin at the shrill cry of her name. That sounded like-

Someone threw themselves at Evie's waist, wrapping their tiny arms around her and squeezing her tightly in a suffocating hug. Evie gasped, looking down and finding Dizzy Tremaine beaming up at her with that larger than life smile of hers. The little girl was dressed in her colourful paint splat dress, her hair tied into two buns at the top of her head, with severals parts dyed a bright variety of colours.

"It's been ages since I last saw you!" Dizzy shrieked excitedly. "Where have you been? I missed you!"

"Dizzy!" Evie said, a smile breaking onto her face.

The little girl detached herself from Evie but remained standing close, looking up at her with eyes filled with so much energy it was almost exhausting to look at her. She clapped her hands, jumping up and down eagerly, as if she was so excited so could barely contain herself.

"How are you? Wait until you come back to the Curl up and Dye! I've been re-decorating! I have lots of new plans- eh..."

Her voice trailed off when she noticed Harry. She went still, looking him up and down, her gaze then moving to Evie and back to Harry. She took off her glasses and cleaned them before putting them back on, scrutinising the pair once more. A look of realisation grew on her face, along with a giant grin. She took a step back, eyes sparkling.

"Oh! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Dizzy gasped. "You should have told me as soon as it happened!"

Evie frowned, confused. "Tell you what?"

"Oh, glass slippers! About how you've found your Prince!"

Evie blinked, even more confused.

"Dizzy, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your new boyfriend, silly!" Dizzy said with a laugh.

Evie felt Harry's grip on her hand tighten fractionally. She turned to look at him to see what was wrong, only to find him looking to the side, scowling. He didn't seem to realise he had tightened his hold on her hand.

_What's upset him? He was fine a second ago._

"Dizzy, I don't have a-"

"Though I have to admit," Dizzy continued, "I never thought you would date a pirate! You always said you would only go out with a Prince with a big castle with lots and lots of mirrors!"

 _Pirate? I'm not going out with a- Oh my evil!_  Evie nearly choked, her head snapping back round to look at the girl in horror.  _Harry! She means Harry! She thinks Harry and I are-_

One cautious side-glance at the pirate and she saw whatever had soured his mood was gone, a huge, playful grin appearing on his face.

_Oh no..._

"No, no, no, no!" Evie said quickly, laughing awkwardly. She had to clear this misunderstanding up, now! She could see the gears in Harry's head turning and knew he was going to try and take advantage of this. "Harry and I are not dating!"

"Then why are you holding hands?" Dizzy asked innocently, tilting her head. "Isn't that what couples do?"

"That's- that's because-"

Oh poison apples, she had forgotten she was still holding his hand! She should have let it go the moment they were safe from Mal and Jay's gaze. What must Harry think with her still clutching onto his hand? Better yet, why hadn't he let go of her hand yet either? Deciding to correct the issue before she dropped dead from embarrassment, or anyone else saw them and came to the same conclusion that Dizzy had, Evie let go of Harry's hand. Well, she tried to. Harry didn't seem to like this idea much, his grip tightening.

"What are you doing? Let go!" Evie hissed quietly, trying to shake off his hand.

"No need to lie, Princess," Harry said, smiling.

He gave her a look, one that promised mischief was afoot.

Only then did he let go of her hand, but what he did after was much worse. He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in closer to his side until she was pressed up against him. Evie found herself speechless, staring wide-eyed at the pirate as if he had grown a pair of horns.

"Evie's come to the realisation that pirates are much better than mundane and boring Princes. We're much better looking too."

Those comments knocked her from the stupor she had been stunned into.

"Excuse me!" Evie shrieked, shoving him away from her, utterly flustered. "You are not my boyfriend! As if I'd chose a grubby pirate over a handsome Prince!"

"Ye'll have to excuse her. I'm afraid she's still a wee bit shy about it," Harry said, giving Evie a wink. He lifted a finger to his lip, looking at Dizzy with mock seriousness. "But it's top secret. So no telling anyone, alright?"

Dizzy pretended to zip her lips and throw away the zipper. She then crossed her heart and stuck out her pinkie. Harry linked her pinkie with his own, the promise officially made.

"I Dizzy Tremaine, promise not to tell anyone about you two going out!"

"We are not going out!" Evie snapped, throwing up her arms in the air in complete exasperated.

That urge to kill Harry was rapidly creeping back. He had to be doing this to get back at her for taking part in wrecking his ship. This was his own personal little slice of revenge. She wished Dizzy would come down from cloud nine long enough to let her explain away this wretched misunderstanding, but the girl was too thrilled by the notion of her having a boyfriend.

"That a lass," Harry said, ignoring Evie's outburst and grinning.

He reached out and ruffled Dizzy's hair.

"This is awesome!" Dizzy said, her smile gleaming brightly. "Evie's always been like an older sister to me, so this is like I have a new older brother too!"

"Dizzy." Evie cleared her throat loudly, speaking as politely but forcefully as she could. "Listen, me and Harry, we're not a thing. We are not going-"

"DIZZY!"

The trio turned to see Lady Tremaine and Drizella across the road. The two women stuck up their noses at Harry and Evie, tapping their feet impatiently as they waited for the young girl to return. By their feet was a staggering amount of heavy looking bags that they no doubt intended for Dizzy to carry for them.

"Sorry, I need to go," Dizzy mumbled, her cheer dimming ever so slightly. "But congratulations you two! You need to come visit me in the Curl Up And Dye soon! I'll even give you two a couples discount! See you later!"

"Dizzy! Just wait a second! Harry and I aren't-"

Dizzy was already out of earshot, skipping down the road to join her Grandmother and mother.

"Dating," Evie finished with a sigh, running her hands down her face.

Oh, this was just great. Now Dizzy thought that Harry and she were dating!

Besides her, she heard Harry snigger. It reminded her that he was the catalyst for this cringe-worthy misunderstanding, that he had done nothing but fan the flames. With an angry scowl set on her face, she whirled on the pirate, her hair flaring around her. She glared up at the smirking boy, her eyes filled with scorn.

"I'm starting to really dislike you, again."

"I think we'd make a cute couple," Harry said, still grinning cheekily.

Evie smiled sweetly, taking a step closer to them so they were a breath apart, her words brushing his lips.

"Not even in your dreams, pirate boy."

* * *

Across the road, a bell chimed with the opening of a shop door. A figure paused in the doorway, startled at the sight of Captain Hook's son standing so close to none other than the Evil Queen's daughter. They took a step back, hiding behind the door to remain unseen by the pair.

They watched curiously as Evie took a step closer to the pirate, spoke a few words, flipped her blue hair then strutted away with a satisfied smirk on her lips. Harry remained still, watching Evie disappear into the crowd. He laughed quietly to himself before leaving.

Unsure of what to make of the exchange, the figure retreated back inside.

* * *

Later that day, Evie found herself lost in her closet, pulling dress after dress down from the rails where they hung on hangers. She briefly held them up against her body, scrutinising them in her floor length mirror before tossing them aside. Her search for a costume for the party was not going well. None of her dresses were appropriate for anything other than a Princess costume.

With a disappointed sigh, Evie left her closet.

 _What to do?_  Evie mused.

Carlos had hit the target spot on when he had guessed what her costume would be for the party, highlighting for her that she had been far too predictable. As much as she loved dressing up as the Princess, for this party, she felt that she should do something different, something none of her friends would expect. The problem was she couldn't think of anything she wanted to dress up as, other than a Princess.

She sat down on the edge of her bed, racking her brain for any ideas. It was during her pondering that she noticed a strange looking hat on the floor, one that didn't belong to her. She lifted it up, startled to realise it was Harry's black pirate hat.

_He must have dropped it when we were carrying on last night._

Curious, Evie walked over to another one of her mirrors and placed the hat on her head. She laughed, feeling silly. She had to admit though, it looked good on her. Then again, what didn't?

_Hmmm, with the right dress, a pair of sturdy boots and some accessories, I could pull off quite the fetching new outfit._

It was then inspiration hit her.

She took the hat off, examining it excitedly as the possibilities raced through her mind.

_I'm sure Harry won't mind if I borrow this for a while._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear, someone saw Evie and Harry. Was the small interaction they saw enough to tip them off to the nature of their relationship? Or will they just brush it off? And who was it that saw them?
> 
> I've changed the summary of the story, but that's because it's not turned out to be one-shots like I had originally planned. This has turned out to be a full-fledged story with plot. :D


	7. Let's Get This Party Started!

"This is a disaster! My mother is going to kill me! What am I gonna do?"

Evie, Mal and Jay paused outside the doors to the party hall of Hell Hall. They could hear Carlos inside, worriedly ranting away to himself, the sound of pacing footsteps echoing loudly through the double doors. They shared a cautious look with one another before pushing the doors open. The sight they were greeted with had their mouths dropping open in horror.

The room they walked into should have been all set and ready for a grand party, featuring some of the most notorious villains of all time. Everything, down to the tiniest detail, should have been perfect. Instead what they saw was a room in utter disarray. Boxes were scattered everywhere. Streamers, banners, table cloths, and other decorations lay strewn across the room, many of which looked ripped, dirtied and unusable. The floors hadn't been swept or mopped. The windows looked like they had been bombarded with mud cakes. And none of the tables or chairs had been set up, all lying topped around the room.

The place was a chaotic mess.

"What was the theme of the party again?" Mal asked, carefully stepping over a shattered vase.

"Or did we miss the party?" Jay commented, whistling at the bags of burst balloons in the corner.

"What happened Carlos?" Evie said quietly. "You look awful."

Carlos stopped his pacing, spinning around to face his friends. His clothes were dishevelled and his hair was ruffled from running his fingers through it and pulling at it. His cheeks were flushed and there were tear stains on them. Evie felt her heart break at the sight of the fretful boy.

"Oh no! Tell me it isn't time for the party! I'm not ready!" Carlos shouted, his eyes widening fearfully.

"No kidding," Mal said dryly.

"Calm down, dude. It's only ten o'clock so you have another, like, nine hours till the party," Jay said. He looked around and winced and under his breath, he added, "though with the state of this place you probably need a few more days."

"Oh, thank evil for that," Carlos sighed, dropping down to the floor. His body suddenly tensed again and he inhaled sharply. "Or not. I only have nine hours to fix all this! I'm doomed. I'm finished! My mother is going to make mittens out of me!"

"Wow," Evie said, quickly making her way over to Carlos. "You need to calm down and explain what happened."

Carlos took in several long, slow breaths, trying to take back control of his breathing.

"Everything was going fine. I had this place all cleaned up and ready to go. All the tables and chairs were set up, freshly pressed tables cloths put over them and the cutlery and table decorations laid out. The banners and streamers were hung up. The floors and windows were gleaming. The party lights were all fixed to the ceilings and walls."

Carlos stood up and began pacing again as he spoke, carelessly crushing glass and broken plastic under his shoes.

"All I had to do was collect my mother's dress from the dry cleaners and the cake and food from the bakers. But that's when everything started going wrong..." He trailed off, his eyes glossing over as he remembered the dreadful moment fate turned against him. "When I got to the bakers they said the cake and food had been stolen and that they didn't have any time to make me a new order!"

"What about your mother's dress?" Mal asked, raising an eyebrow.

Carlos's face turned chalk white. He pointed a trembling finger to a pile of shredded and mucky fabrics.

"That's your mother's dress?" Evie gasped.

"Did they clean it with a shredder?" Jay asked.

"I don't know!" Carlos cried. "I picked it up, didn't bother to check it and when I got home and went to lay it out on my mother's bed I found it looking like that! I bumped into Horace and Jasper on my way out to try and get it fixed and they gave me into trouble for all the racket I caused in the party hall, but I hadn't been in the party hall yet! When I came to check it I found the place like this!"

Evie listened intently, the same thought crossing her mind as it did Mal and Jay's. This was no accident. Someone was trying to sabotage the party.

"This has to have been Uma and her crews doing," Mal remarked, kicking aside a box of ruined decorations. "No one else had any reason to go through all this trouble. This has to be their revenge for wrecking their precious ship."

"We destroyed a part of their home so now they've destroyed a part of one of ours," Evie commented.

She looked around at the mess in dismay. This was much worse than just trashing a ship. Whereas the Lost Revenge ship only belonged to Uma and was shared with her crew, this house didn't belong to Carlos or any of them. It belonged to Cruella De Vil. The burden of a ruined hall and a cancelled party didn't lie solely on Carlos's shoulders. This mess had serious implications for his mother. If the party didn't go as planned, if the hall wasn't repaired, then it was Carlos who would suffer the consequences at the hands of his mother.

Evie shivered at the thought.

"I don't know what to do," Carlos wailed, burying his face in his hands. "It's hopeless."

"Don't worry, Carlos, we'll fix this," Mal said, trying to reassure him. "Somehow."

"Do you have a magic wand on you, Mal?" Jay asked.

Mal whacked him on the arm.

"Right, let's see," Evie said, walking into the centre of the room, her heels clicking loudly. "Let's deal with this one issue at a time. First off, the party hall. What we need are new decorations. Jay, I don't suppose you could get a hold of some new ones, could you?"

"Sure thing," Jay said with a grin. "I can get em for free too. Steal one steal two free!"

"Perfect! Remember, it all has to be spotted and Halloween themed! We'll also need new dishes too," Evie said, smiling. "As for the Hall, Carlos, you and Mal could start cleaning and-"

"Wow! Cleaning?" Mal cut in, looking unimpressed. "I don't do cleaning."

"Well, instead of cleaning you could do the decorating," Evie said, trying to find a compromise. "There might be some decorations that are still useable until we get the new ones in. Or you could see if any can be repaired. Think of it like arts and crafts."

Mal rolled her eyes but nodded.

"What about the cake, food and dress?" Carlos asked, holding up the tattered remains of his mother's prized dress.

"I can fix that!" Evie grinned, taking the dress. "My mother taught me how to sew. As for the cake and food I know a chef who can help. Chief Skinner owes me a favour. He's also a close friend of my mother's, so he'll be more likely to help."

"Your mother's friends with Cheif Skinner?" Carlos questioned, tilting his head.

"Yipe! In fact, he occasionally asks her for cooking tips!"

"Should I be worried that a professional chief gets cooking tips from an Evil Queen with a habit of poisoning foods?" Mal mused.

"Yeah, which restaurant does he work at? You know, so I can avoid being poisoned," Jay chimed in.

Evie rolled her eyes.

"Less talk. Right now, we have a party to save!"

* * *

After eight hectic hours of running around madly, Evie, Mal, Carols and Jay had finally gotten the party hall ready.

They had to admit, despite Cruella's strange theme combination, the place looked grand. It also went perfectly with the white and black striped wallpaper.

Everything, from the floors to the windows had been cleaned up. Black and white streamers and banners hung from the high ceiling and walls, matching balloons tactfully spotted around the room. The chairs and tables were set out at the sides of the room, leaving the vast portion of the centre clear for dancing. Each table had cutlery and dishes set on it with a glass vase in the centre, filled with shrivelled up flowers and sticks with scary faced pumpkins on them. Mal had painted a variety of cardboard cut outs to decorate the room, from paintings of villains to scary creatures such as rats, bats, haunted trees, witches and ghouls.

"I can't believe we did it! Maybe my mother won't kill me after all!" Carlos said, sighing with relief as he collapsed into a chair. "I owe you guys."

"Big time," Mal laughed, finishing off painting a few skulls and crossbones onto the remaining balloons left to be hung up.

The double doors to the room burst open and in walked Evie and Jay, pushing in a cart filled with boxed treats.

"Hey, guys! That's us got the baked goods! Chief Skinner even made them all Halloween themed for us!" Evie said, brimming with pride.

"They're delicious too," Jay said, stuffing one of the cupcakes into his mouth.

"Stop eating them! They're for the party!" Evie slapped Jay's arm, giving him a scolding glare. "Right, now we just need to set up the food table, go get changed and we're sorted!"

"Awesome!" Mal said, clapping her hands. "Well, I've got to go home and get ready."

"Same here," Jay said. "You coming, Evie?"

"No, I'm going to stay and help Carlos with the finishing touches. I brought my costume with me so I could change here."

The pair bid farewell then left. Evie and Carlos busied themselves with setting up the food table and making a few final adjustments to the room.

"I can't thank you enough for this, Evie. Seriously."

"No problem, that's what friends are for, isn't it?" Evie said, smiling.

"Do you really think it was Uma and her crew that did this?"

Evie paused, the smile slipping from her face. She looked up at Carlos, unsure of what to say.

"I knew getting back at them was a bad idea," Carlos mumbled under his breath. "If we hadn't then this wouldn't have been an issue. We're just lucky we managed to get everything sorted or I would have been toast!"

She could tell Carlos was upset and frustrated by the whole thing. He had literally dodged a bullet. If they hadn't been able to pull off this miracle and get everything sorted in time then the consequences would have been dire for him. And to Evie that was the worst part. Uma's crew hadn't gone after all of them, only one. It was unfair and cruel. The fury of Uma, Gil and Harry had all fallen on Carlos's shoulders to bare alone. What must have irked Carlos was the knowledge that he had been against the idea from the start, yet it was he who received the brunt of the payback.

"I know, Carlos," Evie said quietly. "But hey, that's it over with. They got they're pay-back but we didn't let it beat us."

"What I want to know is how did they even know we were having a party?" Carlos asked. "It's a secret party. None of them or their parents were invited. Only my mother's friends."

Evie frowned. That was a good question. How did they find out? The only ones coming to this party were about thirty of Cruella's closest friends and allies, along with many of their most trusted minions. Every so often they would hold the party, always in secret and everyone taking great care not to allow those uninvited to learn about it. Villains tended to get a little curse and revenge-happy when they weren't invited to a party, as Evie knew first hand.

 _How could they have found out?_ Evie pondered.

* * *

An hour later the party begun.

The guests had all arrived, filling the place up with an interesting variety of people and creatures. Sitting at the many tables, chatting and scheming away to one another, were villains such as Lady Tremaine, Drizella, Yzma, Queen Narissa, Claude Frollo, Clayton and Gothel, none of which had elected to wear a Halloween costume. At the far end corner, in the darkest part of the hall, surrounded by his ghastly cauldron reborn skeletons was The Horned King, slowly sipping away at his beverage. The main lights had been switched off, replaced with a dark shade of purple, casting the seated villains in an eerie ambience.

The dance floor held a less sinister atmosphere. Here strobe lights of all colours flashed and shone and the music blared loudest. It was filled with dancing and merry minions, henchmen and goblins, all dressed up in different costumes, such as witches, ghosts, monsters, skeletons and animals. They were few villain children there too, dancing and causing the occasional bit of mischief. Dizzy Tremaine was happily dancing away, somehow having managed to convince one of The Horned King's cauldrons reborn skeletons to dance with her.

Evie grinned at the sight. Everything was going perfectly!

Carlos and Jay were enjoying themselves, acting as tonight's DJ's. Her mother had just arrived in her queenly attire with Maleficent and Jafar. Cruella, in her favourite dress, greeted them in. The only person she couldn't see was-

"Evie, there you are!"

Evie looked up to see none other than Mal approaching her. She was dressed in a pretty purple sequin dress that almost looked like scales. On her head were two horns, like mini versions of her mother's, and on her back was a pair of jagged dark purple wings.

"Oh, you're a dragon! I love it! Evie said, admiring her friend's costume. "Very cool."

"Thanks." Mal looked down at Evie's choice in costume in surprise. "A pirate? Really?"

Evie did a slow twirl, her dress swirling out around her. It was a classy pirate style royal blue dress that fell to her knees, flaring out a little with white ruffles at the bottom and at the ends of the long sleeves. She had a long fancy darker blue coat over it that reached near her ankles. To top it all off she had a pair of black boots, some nifty belts and a fake sword at her side. As a final touch, she had also decided to wear her red and blue shell necklace that Harry had given to her, along with his borrowed pirate hat that she had added a little bit of glitter and ribbons too.

"Do you want to hear my pirate impression?" Evie asked teasingly.

"No, thanks," Mal said quickly, recoiling at the thought. "Not a fan of pirates."

"MAL! Come over here!" Maleficent's shrill voice shouted over the blasting music.

Mal sighed, glancing over to her mother. "Gotta go, I'll catch up with you later."

"No probs. I'm gonna hit the dance floor."

Evie made her way to the busy dance floor, looking around for any potential dance partners. She danced her way passed grizzly looking henchmen and witches, narrowly avoiding stepping on the drunken goblins swaying about at knee level. Madam Mim and Jasper, who looked more like a hostage than a willing dance partner, tangoed their way by her.

Eventually, Evie found herself at the centre of the dance floor. It was then that someone tapped her shoulder.

Evie spun around in a flare of blue and glitter. She let out a surprised gasp when she came face to face with the last thing she expected to see at a House of Villains party. A drop dead gorgeous Prince.

He was taller than her, with dark brown hair and dark grey eyes. His attire was very princely. He wore a black shirt, a black vest, white jabot and a long dark red overcoat that was adorned with intricate black stitching designs along the sides. On his face was a black mask, concealing the upper part of his face.

"Care for a dance, Princess?"

It was when he spoke that she realised who was behind the mask.

Evie's mouth dropped open.

_No way..._

"Har-"

Harry's finger on her lip prevented her from finishing her word. Harry leant in close, looking around them cautiously.

"I'm not quite sure yer friends will be too pleased to find me here. Normally I wouldn't care but I am a wee bit outnumbered at the moment."

Evie moved his hand away, taking him in with new eyes. Harry Hook in a Prince suit was not something she had ever thought she would see. He certainly pulled it off dashingly, in a dark Prince sorta way. Even though he looked perfectly handsome and alluring as a Prince, she couldn't help but think she preferred him so much better as a pirate.

Before she could say anything though all the dance floors lights changed to a periwinkle shade, the music dying down, replaced by a slow song. Evie frowned, glancing over to Carlos and Jay by the DJ booth. She felt her heart jump when they grinned over at her, giving her the thumbs up while pointing to the mysterious dark prince beside her.

_Oh no... no no no no!_

All around Harry and Evie people shrugged their shoulders and paired off with one another, no longer jumping and twirling around madly, but instead gently swaying to the beat of the romantic tune humming through the air.

 _I will kill those two_ , Evie thought, slowly returning her gaze back to Harry, already knowing what was about to happen.

If they knew who her mystery Prince was, she doubted they'd be so quick to set the mood for a romantic dance for them.

Harry held out one hand, putting the other to his chest as he bowed. There was a cheeky grin on his face and his eyes gleamed with a challenge and a question.  _Scared?_  They seemed to ask. When Evie placed her hand in his it was as good as any spoken answer.  _Never of you._

Harry pulled her close and in turn, Evie slipped her arms over his shoulders.

Evie tried her best to ignore the fluttering sensation in her chest at being so close to Harry. Really, she should be used to being close to him by now, yet that feeling only seemed to have intensified. She would bet her favourite lipstick that the blush on her cheeks was nothing to do with her make-up.

"So how did you find out about the party?" Evie whispered next to his ear, loud enough only for him to hear. "I don't recall seeing your name on the guest list."

"What kind of pirate would I be if I didn't crash a party now and then?" Harry murmured, his breath warm against her neck.

"But how did you find out about it?"

"Well, that's a secret I'm not willing to shar- owe!" Harry let out a hiss as Evie purposely stood on his toe, hard.

"That's for nearly wrecking the party," Evie snapped quietly. She felt her shyness at being held intimately by Harry lift somewhat, fury replacing her meekness. "If Cruella had seen the mess you guys made Carlos would have been dead!"

"What about our truce? No hard feelings or trying to get revenge on each other-"

"We're not at Misery Rock right now," Evie cut in.

Harry rolled his eyes, muttering irritably under his breath.

She didn't want to put a damper on the mood or lash out at Harry when he had tried so hard to control his temper with her, but she was furious with the stunt he and his friends had pulled. She was angry at the unfairness of going after only Carlos, of the viciousness of involving one of their parents that would lead to brutal repercussions. She was frustrated from all the exhausting running around early in the day, trying to get everything ready, calling in favours, picking up orders and decorating the hall. And now that she had the culprit here, she couldn't help but lash out.

"I warned ye we were going to have to get ye back for wrecking the Lost Revenge," Harry said, pulling away slightly to look at her.

"I know," Evie said quietly. She took a deep breath, trying her best to calm her anger. If Harry, who had inherited the terrible temper of Captain Hook, could calm his temper, surely so could she. "I'm just..."

Harry gave her an understanding look.

"Trust me, I know how ye feel."

It was a difficult friendship that they had, one that's challenges were truly hitting home now. Evie had known there would be struggles to overcome if they wanted to be friends, but it was a completely different thing to know something would be hard and then to actually experience it.

She wanted to shout at Harry, to let loose all her pent up feelings on the matter. But at the same time, she didn't want to push him away. She had known the consequences of a friendship with him, now she had to try and accept them. She just wished she didn't feel so conflicted. It felt like she was betraying Mal, Carlos and Jay when she was with Harry and it felt like she was betraying Harry when she helped the others prank him and his friends.

She looked up into Harry's eyes and realised he must feel the same confliction.

With a soft sigh, she rested her face against Harry's shoulder. Harry pulled her in closer, his hand pressing against her lower back. They stayed like that for the remainder of the song, happy for the blissful moments of peace. When the song finished, Harry pulled away. He looked over her shoulder then back to her.

"Care to join me for a walk outside. I think Mal might be about to head our way."

Evie perked up at that. She had forgotten Mal had said she would catch up with her later, once her mother was finished talking to her. When Mal did come over Evie was sure that it wouldn't take long for her to figure out who the mysterious Prince was.

"Yeah, let's go," Evie said, carefully tracking Mal's movements.

Harry took her hand in his, entwining their fingers. Evie looked down at their hands but said nothing, allowing Harry to led them through the crowds, the double doors to exit the party hall, through the grand hall, and finally outside.

The cool air was a pleasant change from the overbearing stuffiness and warmth of the party hall. Evie smiled as the wind ruffled her clothes and blew her hair back.

"So, why a pirate?" Harry asked, gently swinging their arms.

"Why a Prince?" Evie countered.

Harry grinned, shaking his head as he said, "Ah, ah. I asked first."

They found a dirt path that winded its way into a small forest at the side of Cruella's property. It was lit up by dull lanterns dangling from a rope that was tangled in the trees. Evie was vaguely familiar with the path, knowing it led to the abandoned greenhouse at the back of the mansion.

"The reason I decided to go as a pirate was I thought it'd be an interesting change from a Princess," Evie explained. "The inspiration came from you actually."

"Well-" Harry raised their entwined hands in the air, allowing him to twirl Evie around, her dress, long coat and hair flaring out. When she came to a stop she found herself facing Harry, her free hand instinctively coming up to rest on his chest to balance herself. "I think ye make an enchanting pirate."

"You are a major suck up," Evie said with a laugh, smiling up at the boy. "Is this all part of the Prince Charming act?"

Harry scoffed and rolled his eyes, insulted by the comparison.

"Prince Charming has nothing on ma charms."

Evie pulled away but kept a firm grip on the pirate's hand. She wasn't sure why but holding Harry's hand felt natural and comfortable and she didn't want to let go just yet.

She led him further down the path until they finally reached the greenhouse. It was a large glass structure, with broken and dirtied windows, vines snaking through many of them. They pushed open the doors and walked inside, careful to avoid the shattered glass and pottery scattered across the floors. Inside the greenhouse, the grim and hazardous plant life had taken over.

Evie walked over to a patch of poison ivy, gently running a finger down one of the fuzzy leaves.

Harry reached out to touch it but Evie gave him a disapproving glance.

"Leaves of three, leave them be," She chided. "That's poison ivy. Unless you have an immunity to most poisons like me, I wouldn't touch it. It'll give you a nasty sting and an itchy rash."

"And how do ye have an immunity to poisons?" Harry asked, tilting his head curiously.

"My mother's the Evil Queen. With her signature way of getting rid of her enemies being poisoned apples she decided to build up an immunity to poisons," Evie said, shrugging. "You know, in case she accidentally eats some. It's something she passed on to me."

They sat down on a broken wooden bench, the faint sound of the party music reaching their ears.

"You never told me why it is you dressed as a Prince," Evie said. "I was under the impression you didn't like Princes. Boring and mundane I believe is what you called them."

She finally let go of Harry's hand to pull her jacket around her tighter, the cold now nipping at her skin.

"I don't," Harry admitted. "Pampered wimps, the lot of em. I really don't see what ye think is so great about em."

Evie gave Harry an annoyed scowl.

"If you think that way then why dress as one?"

"It was the only costume I had lying around," Harry said nonchalantly.

Evie nodded, accepting the answer.

Over in the mansion, the sound of the ends of the Macarena song drifted down to the greenhouse. Evie started giggling, barely able to imagine half of the guests attempting the dance.

"You know, usually I don't mind sneaking away from a party, but if I get up there and it turns out Dizzy managed to convince The Horned King to dance to the Macarena I'm gonna be really disappointed that I missed that," Evie said, laughing at the thought.

Harry snickered at the image. He then looked at her, tilting his head. She couldn't help but think he looked very attractive with his bangs falling over his eyes, the dark mask making his eyes seem much lighter by contrast.

"So not a fan of parties?" He asked.

Evie shook her head.

"Oh no, I love parties and balls. I find they're a great place to meet Princes," Evie said, leaning towards him and smiling teasingly. Her smile faded as she continued speaking. "It's just, I always end up getting a little nervous at them. The last party that I came to that was held in Hell Hall... well... it wasn't very fun, to say the least. I've always been a bit wary of parties since."

"What happened?" Harry asked.

Evie hesitated, but only for a moment, deciding that she trusted Harry enough to confide in him.

"It was back before Mal and I became friends. On my sixth birthday, I didn't invite her to my party and because of that, she held a bit of a grudge against me. A few years later Carlos held a party here and she took the opportunity to lock me in Cruella's wardrobe. Which, doesn't sound so bad, but that room is terrifying. It's filled with booby traps, many of which I nearly set off while trying to escape."

Evie began fidgeting with her dress, absentmindedly straightening it out. The experience certainly hadn't been her fondness memory, but it also wasn't her worst. It felt nice though, to be able to trust someone else with that tale. Of course, Mal, Jay and Carlos knew, but Carlos had been the only one she had been able to really talk to about it, seeing as both Mal and Jay had been a part of the prank. Carlos had been the one to help her escape, and seeing as he knew exactly what lay within that wardrobe of nightmares, he was more than understanding at her plight.

Now that the four of them were all friends though, she felt she couldn't talk to even Carlos about it. It was years ago and she knew Mal wouldn't do something like that to her again now that they were besties, but sometimes the effects that that frightful day had on her still lingered.

"Mal certainly takes after her mother," Harry muttered darkly.

"It's in the past now," Evie said quietly, shrugging. "Anyways, this party is much better than the last one."

Something flickered on Harry's face, a fleeting emotion he was quick to hide. Evie didn't get a chance to figure out what it was. She watched as Harry looked away from her, going very quiet as he stared intently at the floor.

"One more dance."

Evie blinked, startled.

"What?"

"One more dance, before the party's over," Harry said, standing up. He took hold of Evie's hand, gently pulling her to her feet. "Another good memory to replace the bad ones."

"But we can't even hear the music anymore."

"Ye don't need music to dance," Harry said. "Though usually in the movies this is about the time where the bug, plant and animal life start a spontaneous musical number."

Evie laughed. She shyly moved closer so her body was pressed up against Harry's, her arms encircling his neck again. Harry wrapped his arms around her waist and they started to softly sway from side to side on the spot, both smiling at the unusual and silly feeling of dancing with no music.

Evie wasn't sure what made it harder to concentrate, that persistent tingly feeling that had come back with a vengeance or the intense but soft way Harry was looking at her. It was only when he looked up, breaking their eye contact that Evie felt she could breathe again.

"Is that ma hat?" Harry asked, his eyes widening with realisation. "I was looking for that!"

 _I forgot it was his hat I was wearing_ , Evie thought with a grin.

"Like I said, you did serve for the inspiration for my costume," Evie said, laughing at the gaping mouth expression on Harry's. face. "I'm only borrowing it for tonight."

"Borrowing it means ye intend to give it back. Yet ye've put glitter and ribbons on it," Harry grumbled, scowling at his hat.

"I improved it," Evie said with a shrug.

Harry shook his head, laughing silently at her remark. He leant forward, resting his forehead against hers.

"Ye can keep it, it looks good on ye."

He removed one of his arms from her waist, bringing his hand up to her face before delicately brushing her cheek with his fingertips.

Evie felt herself go still at the movement, her eyes watching him curiously. They were so close, their bodies pressed up against one another, their faces an inch apart. Harry's eyes slowly fell to her lips, lingering there for a moment before meeting her eyes again. For a moment that seemed to stretch on for hours, Evie thought he was going to kiss her, a thought that only seemed to be confirmed when he brought his free hand up to her chin to tip her head back, his face leaning forward and-

"Evie! Are you in here?"

Flustered, Evie pulled away, turning around at the sound of Jay's voice.

Harry cursed under his breath, moving away from her.

"Looks like that's my cue to leave," He murmured.

"I guess so," Evie said quietly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

 _I can't_ believe _he nearly... I nearly..._

She wasn't sure what had just happened between them but it had startled her. Had Harry really been about to kiss her?

She didn't have time to ponder over the strange incident that had just passed between them, the sound of Jay stumbling into the greenhouse reminding her they were running out of time. She turned to Harry, whispering to him that there was another exit at the other side of the greenhouse.

Harry hesitated before leaving, giving her a strange, unreadable look. He picked up her hand and then did something rather unexpected that had her heart racing. He brought her hand up to his lips and placed a soft, lingering kiss on her fingers.

"Until next time, Evie," He said, giving her a cheeky wink.

Evie rolled her eyes, taking back her hand.

"Evie?" Jay's voice shouted.

"Move it!" Evie hissed.

Harry seemed to be struggling on decided whether he wanted to go. He probably wasn't happy with the idea of running away from Jay. Running away was one thing Harry Hook never did.

With a sigh, Evie took matters into her own hands. Using both hands she shoved the pirate as hard as she could into a large, leafy bush, whispering to him to hurry up and leave.

The pirate was out of sight just in time for Jay fighting his way through some heavy shrubbery.

"Evie, there you are! Dude, I've been looking all over for you!"

"Hey, Jay," Evie said, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice. "What are you doing out here?"

"You need to come back to the party hall, right now!" Jay said, his voice bearing a heavy weight of seriousness.

"What's wrong?"

"Uma and her crew struck again."

* * *

When Evie and Jay got back to the party Evie was almost floored with what she saw.

The party hall was in a worse mess now than when they had found it this morning.

Everything was ruined. The decorations had been torn down, the tables and chairs overturned and tossed around the room and many of the windows had been shattered. Glass, food, drinks and broken decorations lay strewed across the messy floor. Most of the guests had left, with the exception of several goblins and Evie and her friend's parents. Jafar, Maleficent and her mother were standing beside one another, arguing furiously. In the centre of the room, Carlos stood, staring at the floor intensely as his mother screamed at him, blaming him for the disaster of a party.

"What happened?" Evie whispered.

Mal appeared beside them, looking livid.

"Someone, no prizes for guessing who, snitched to the Queen of Hearts that she wasn't invited," Mal explained, her words biting and cold. "She and her merry band of playing card guards decided to drop by."

"Has anyone... um... lost their heads?" Evie asked cautiously.

"Nope," Jay answered. He paused for a moment, thinking it over. "Well, I don't think so. Though Carlos still might."

 _Oh, Carlos_ , Evie thought sadly, unable to watch as his mother insulted and shouted at him.

It was then something occurred to Evie. That look Harry had given her after she had said that this party had been a better one than the last. Now she knew what it was. It was a look of guilt. That was why he had asked her to dance one more time.  _Another good memory to replace the bad ones._ Evie felt bitter fury swell at the realisation. He had known what was going to happen. He had played a hand in its fruition.

_Why did he even come here?_

Why come into the lion's den and risk detection? If he had been discovered it wouldn't have ended well for him, no matter how crafty, cunning and skilled a fighter he was.

"Trust me, Evie, you're lucky you missed it. I nearly got stampeded by The Queen of Hearts playing card guards," Mal muttered, her eyes flashing green.

"Yipe, and I'm pretty sure someone would have lost their heads if it hadn't been for The Horned King's slime covered skeletons stepping in," Jay added. He looked around the floor, wincing. "Speaking of which, be careful where you stand. Some of them lost a few limbs- eh I mean... bones."

It sounded like she had gotten lucky. A clash of villains, especially as dreadful as the ones that had been in this hall, could quickly turn deadly.

She wondered if that was why Harry had come. To keep her distracted until the danger was over.

"Evie! There you are!" The Evil Queen yelled, hurrying over to her daughter. "Where have you- upon my word! What are you wearing?"

Evie looked down at her pirate outfit and winced. She hadn't even considered her mother's reaction. Surely she couldn't be upset over a Halloween costume? Then again, another reason for her always dressing as a Princess was her mother's insistence.

"How embarrassing! What in Evil's name were you thinking going out in that state?" Her mother all but shrieked. The Evil Queen put a hand to her forehead, as though she felt faint. "We have to get you home this instant! Clearly, you need a refreshers course on fashion!"

"But mum, I-"

"No buts! Now start walking!" The Evil Queen grabbed Evie by the arm, hauling her towards the exit.

Mal and Jay gave her pitying looks.

Without her realising, her pirate hat had fallen off. It lay on the path leading up to Hell Hall. There it lay as thunder crackled high above and a downpour of rain crashed down to the Isle.

According to all the books Evie read, balls and parties were supposed to have a magical and happy end. Why were the ones she went to anything but?

* * *

Harry walked down a deserted alleyway. It was dark and misty, the salty sea air wafting through the streets. Nearby, he could hear the faint sound of the waves crashing against the harbours.

He couldn't wait to get out of this blasted Prince outfit. It was uncomfortable and itchy and the jabot felt like it was trying to strangle him. The sooner he got home to his father's house the faster he could relieve himself of the dreadful attire and finally wear his hook again.

As much as he hated the costume, he felt that the surprised look on Evie's face had been worth it. He had lied to her when he had said that this was the only costume he had had lying around. In actual fact, he had done a great deal of searching to find this Prince suit.

Why go through all the trouble if he hated Princes so?

He may not like them... but Evie did.

Two pairs of echoing footsteps caused him to stop. He turned around, finding two shadowy figures watching him from within the fog. He crossed his arms, glaring at them, challenging the cowards to show themselves unless they wanted hooked. How he would do that without his hook, he would figure out later.

"You know, when Gil said he saw you with Evie a couple of weeks ago, I didn't quite believe him. At least, not until you helped her out tonight."

Uma and Gil emerged from the shadows and mist, stepping into the dim street lights.

"So, Harry," Uma said sweetly. "Care to explain why you tipped off the little princess?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that near kiss wasn't too mean. What song was playing when Evie and Harry were dancing? I want to say Falling Slowly or a thousand years, but I don't have that great a range of taste in music, so I'll let everyone else decide lol.
> 
> Uma and Gil now know something is going on between Evie and Harry. How will they react? How will Harry react? Will Harry tell Evie... or not?


	8. Wish Upon A Star

"So, Harry," Uma said sweetly. "Care to explain why you tipped off the little princess?"

With an irritable sigh, Harry looked to the skies.

He had known that this was coming, but he didn't think it would be so soon. He certainly hadn't imagined it happening under these circumstances, with him hookless and dressed in a ridiculously wimpy Prince costume. Blast it all!

With a deep breath, he braced himself for what was to come. He put on his most wicked grin and turned around to face his crew mates, his arms open wide in greeting.

"Well, well, well," Harry drawled, appearing completely at ease. "You caught me hook-handed."

"Um, you're actually hookless right now," Gil pointed out.

It took every ounce of self-control Harry and Uma had not to roll their eyes. They barely had the patience to deal with Gil on the avenge day, never mind dealing with him under such heavy tidings as these.

Uma stepped forward, placing her hands on her hips. The dim street lights basked her in a menacing amber glow, the mist swaying like ghostly waves around her feet. Gil propped himself up onto one of the many barrels lining the alleyways walls, watching the pair cautiously.

"Technicalities aside," Uma said, turning her attention back to Harry. "Tell us why you told the little wanna be Princess about our plan?"

"I didn't tell her anything." Harry shrugged. "I just made sure she wasn't in the party hall."

It wasn't a lie. He had only told Evie the obvious, that sooner or later they would get revenge against her and her friends. He hadn't given her a hint or whisper about what they intended to do and he had not held back when they had gone to sabotage the party. The only thing he was guilty of was making sure Evie remained a safe distance from the more dangerous side of their prank.

Uma narrowed her eyes, a thoughtful look crossing her face.

"That's how you found out about their secret party, wasn't it? You got the information from her," Uma said, understanding dawning on her face.

Sabotaging the party had been Uma's idea, but that idea was only possible as Harry had been the one to discover and reveal the party's existence. Where he got that information he had neglected to tell the others.

"What exactly is going on between you two?" Uma continued. "Is that why you've been hanging out with her? You're using her for information?"

That would have been an easy out to this situation, claiming he was manipulating Evie to find information to get back at Mal and Jay. He could see the flicker of hope in Uma's eyes and he knew that she desperately wanted that reason to be true, seeing it as the only feasible explanation that didn't reduce him to a traitor. She had already been betrayed once by Mal, she didn't want to be stabbed in the back again.

"No, she didn't tell me and I'm not using her," Harry said honestly. Lying would have made this whole situation much easier, but the lie in itself would have been a betrayal, not just to Uma and Gil but to Evie as well. "I found out about the party when I overheard Evie and Carlos talking about it at The Slop Shop. They didn't know I was nearby."

"Oh, so you're hanging out with Carlos too?" Uma scoffed, her hands tightening into fists. "What about Mal and Jay? Are you all buddy buddy with them as well?"

"I'm not friends with any of them," Harry gritted the words out, disgusted at the notion. "Just... Evie. If I was friends with the others do ye really think I'd have told ye about their secret party or that I'd help ye ruin it?"

"Evie," Uma spat the name, "helped ruin my ship. Or did you conveniently forget that? That's why she was supposed to be in the party hall when it all went down!"

"No, I didn't," Harry sighed in annoyance.

If Evie hadn't played a part in the wrecking of Uma's ship he knew Uma would have had no issue with Evie and his friendship. Evie may be a friend of Mal, but it was Mal that Uma held a true grudge against. Jay had only earned her scorn after he had assisted Mal in numerous pranks and fights against them.

"Uma, listen to me," Harry said seriously, stressing each word. "I haven't betrayed ye. I'm loyal to my crew."

"Then what's going on between you and that girl?" Gil asked.

"Evie and I are friends. I considered us friends before she involved herself in the feud we have with Mal and Jay. I hold loyalty to her just as I do the two of ye."

If there was one thing that held true about him it was that he was loyal through and through. Much like a captain would always go down with their ship, he would always go down with his friends, no matter what.

Gil nodded, accepting the answer. Uma let out a mirthless laugh, not at all appeased.

"Did you become friends with her before or after she threw you overboard into shark infested waters and attempted to drown you?" Uma countered quickly.

"She what?" Gil asked, blinking in surprise.

"You were ill that day," Uma explained, waving him off dismissively.

"But if he got thrown into shark infested waters how is he still here?" Gil asked, sounding sceptical.

Uma slowly turned to look at him, a look of utter bewilderedness at the boy's cluelessness. Harry mimicked her expression, shaking his head.

 _Gil, ye are a blithering idiot_ , Harry thought irritably.

Gil may have been one of his close friends but the boy's ditziness was beyond frustrating at times. How he and Uma had gone this long without throwing him overboard he would never understand, especially considering how short a fuse their tempers had.

"Clearly, I survived," Harry snapped, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "And to be fair, I did provoke her first."

"Fair? Fair! You-" Uma took in a deep breath. "I can't believe this! She threw you overboard! She nearly drowned you! She vandalised my ship! It's been weeks since then and we're still trying to repair the damage! And you're telling me that somewhere in between all that, you two became friends?"

"Well, when ye put it like that it does sound a bit... strange."

Evie may have made many sins against him, but he certainly had made his own fair share against her. They were no angels. There was plenty of reason for bad blood between them, and yet...

Uma growled in angry frustration at his indifferent reply. She took a dangerous step forward, her long braided hair wiping around her. Gil shrunk back at the sight of the furious girl.

"Is that all you have to say for yourself? You're fraternising with the enemy!" Uma screamed.

"I like her."

Harry's own blunt statement caught himself off guard almost as much as it did Uma and Gil. The both looked at him, stunned at his admission. He hadn't meant to say that, but the words were true. He liked Evie a great deal, perhaps much more than he was willing to admit openly. She was as mischievous and wicked as one would expect the daughter of The Evil Queen to be. But she was also kind. A heart of gold hidden in plain sight. In an Isle filled with villainy and viciousness, where everyone had an agenda and a price, her kindness was a precious thing to find, like a pearl in the darkest seas. As much as it went against everything he was taught, everything he believed in, he found himself drawn to that kind heart of hers.

Uma shook her head, biting back a growl.

"No! I'm not having this! You're a rotten little traitor!" Uma snarled. "You can't be friends with our enemy and expect everything to be fine! It's either her or us! You can't have it both ways! Either you're with us or you're against us!"

"Yeah, it's- wait, what?" Gil's head snapped around to look away from Harry and back to Uma. At that moment, he looked like a kicked puppy. "But-"

Harry suddenly laughed.

Uma and Gil both froze, slowly turning their full attention back to Harry. A feeling of unease trickled down their spines at the chilling sound as it echoed down the alleyway. It was a laugh without humour, a harsh coldness to it. They both frowned, watching Harry guardedly.

Harry pulled off his jabot, tossing it carelessly to the ground. He began walking forward, the mist trembling at his knees. There was a menacing grin on his face, one Uma and Gil were all too familiar with. This was the side of Harry no one wanted to find themselves face to face with. The fearless, unpredictable side that had earned him a reputation to be wary of.

"Is that so? You two... or Evie?"

He threw off his Prince jacket and began unbuttoning his vest. He then tossed that aside as well, leaving only his midnight black shirt and trousers on with knee high boots pulled over them. Without the other parts of his costume, he no longer looked like the dashing Prince. That wasn't a role he was playing anymore. The clock hand had ticked by midnight, the spell was broken, the party was done, and so was that role. Princes saved the day. Pirates saved themselves.

He reached up and slipped the mask off from his face.

"I didn't let Mal force me to chose between you and her back then," He said slowly. He locked eyes with Uma, the smile fading from his face. "So what makes ye think I'm gonna let you?"

Uma straightened, glaring at him viciously. He could see the betrayal burning in her eyes, her body quaking with rage. Gil stood up beside her, looking unsure and torn between his two friends.

"I'm no traitor. I haven't back-stabbed either of ye. If there is one thing I am without a doubt it's loyal. If ye knew me at all, as ye should after all these years, then ye'd know that to be true."

With that said, Harry turned around and walked into the mist, disappearing from sight.

* * *

Grounded for a full week. That was the price she paid for not meeting her mother's fashion standards. She was only on day one and already she could feel cabin fever setting in, making her feel agitated and claustrophobic. She hated being confined, especially to such a small place as her room.

Evie sighed miserably, taking a seat at her work table. Upon it was a variety of sewing equipment; a pin cushion, needles, thimbles, scissors, threads, measuring tools and other bits and bobs. At the side of the desk were stacks of old clothes she planned on transforming into new, more fashional clothes.

She picked up one of her newest unfinished creations, a red handkerchief with an intricate golden design bordering the edges. Since she now had spare time in abundance, Evie set to work finishing the piece off, making sure she had the design sheet for the project beside her for reference.

The person she intended to give it to was one who hadn't left her mind all night.

Harry Hook. Son of Captain Hook. Uma's first mate. Enemy. Friend. And something else, though what she didn't know.

Every since the boy had come into her life everything had been topsy turvy.

Everything had changed all because she had walked too far on the docks and had missed her turn, leading her straight to Harry. It was such a small thing yet the consequences that arose from it were startling. So much had happened since then and all because she met him.

There was much conflict and turmoil in her life now. Her loyalty to her friends was constantly challenged and strained and she kept finding herself in moral dispositions regarding her friendships.

But if she had one wish to take it all back, to undo meeting Harry on the docks that strange frosty night, she knew she wouldn't do it.

For all his faults and all the potential for venom between the two of them, she found that she liked Harry's company.

He wasn't as completely merciless and cruel as he made himself out to be. Oh, she knew from first-hand experience that he certainly excelled at those things, but she had also seen sides of him that she showed he was more than just the cold-hearted villain. He could be kind and sweet, though he would deny it thoroughly. He had charms that could make Romeo green with envy. He was a patient and understanding teacher. He always had a way of making her smile. And much like her, he was loyal to a fault. Not to mention the boy also had a great fashion sense - for a pirate, that was.

Last night she had seen yet a different side, a far more intimate one that she wasn't sure how to respond to.

She was certain he had been about to kiss her.

It might have just been a spur of the moment mistake where he had been caught up in the romantic mood. Or worse, it could have been that he was simply trying to distract her from what had been going on at the mansion.

The thought that it was just a ploy of distraction upset her more than it should and she dearly hoped that wasn't why he had attempted to do it. Then again, she wasn't quite sure why he had even come to the party in the first place. She would have to interrogate him on that the next time she saw him.

Despite wanting to know why he had tried to kiss her, a part of her urged her not to ask. She could just pretend that it never happened and hope that eventually it would fade away and nothing would change between them. She had grown to treasure their unusual friendship and didn't want to lose it. She could already feel the stirring of change in the air with every encounter they had and she knew if she pursued an answer to her question then change would be inevitable.

With Harry in her life though she knew that change was bound to come sooner or later. Harry was like the sea, always changing, never staying the same and altering everything around him. He had brought mountainous changes to her life since he had stepped foot into it, and for as long as they were friends, those changes would keep coming.

Something thwacked the window, hard, causing Evie to jump and prick her finger.

She brought the wounded finger to her lip, muttering irritably under her breath at the pain. She turned to her window, interested in seeing what had disturbed her. Just in time, she saw another pebble hit the glass.

Someone was throwing stones at her window again. She only needed one guess to figure out who it was.

_Think of the devil and he shall appear, Evie mused._

She made her way over to her window, opened it and peered down into the small clearing below. She wasn't surprised to find Harry at the bottom, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, the shadows of the forest reaching out for him across the dry grass.

"What are you doing here?" Evie whispered down. "If my mother sees you here you're going to find yourself as the second key ingredient in poison apple pie!"

"Hooks and poison apples? Hmmm strange mix," Harry called up to her, glancing at his hooked hand. He turned his attention back to her, grinning. "Certainly interesting though."

Evie rolled her eyes, propping herself up to sit on the window ledge. She looked down at him, pleased to see that he was back to his usual pirate attire, a new black hat upon his head. She found it a bit strange seeing him with his hook, having become used to seeing him without it more often than not.

"Seriously, Harry, what do you want?" Evie asked lightly.

"I want to hear yer excuse for not coming to our lesson today."

_Fencing lessons! It's Thursday today!_

Her mind had been so ensnared by last nights events that she had completely forgotten about her fencing lesson! Not that she could have attended them had she remembered, one of the many draw backs of being grounded.

"Is it because of what happened last night?"

There were many things that happened last night that he could have been referring to. Did he think she didn't come because she was angry at him and his friends for snitching to the Queen of Hearts about the party so she would crash it? Or was he talking about there near kiss? A near kiss she wasn't sure how to deal with yet.

"I'm grounded," Evie explained.

"Grounded?" Harry sounded dubious. "What exactly does it take for the daughter of the Evil Queen to get grounded?"

"A pirate costume it would seem. I wasn't joking when I said my mother doesn't let me leave the house less than perfect." Evie shrugged, trying to sound as nonchalant as she could.

Truthfully, it was hard to keep a casual air about the affair. The scolding she had received from her mother when they got back to their castle had upset her greatly. The costume that she had worked tirelessly on and had been so pleased with had been disposed of promptly by her mother, tossed into the flames of the fireplace. After that, she had been sent to her room to think of her ill fashion deed and humiliating her mother by association.

"Yer mother and I seem to have two very different definitions of the word perfect," Harry said, a smirk on his lips.

Evie couldn't help the small smile that slipped onto her face at that comment.

"Truthfully though, I'm not just here to ask why you couldn't make it to our fencing lessons. I want to take you somewhere."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise," Harry said, now grinning. "Let's call it a makeup gift since yer party didn't  _quite_  go as planned."

Well, that was an understatement. It was also a bit rich considering it was partly his fault that the party flopped.

"What part of grounded did you not understand?" Evie asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Are ye really gonna let that minor detail stop ye?" Harry challenged, crossing his arms. "If yer gonna get grounded ye might as well do something worth the inconvenience."

Despite her uncertainty over her near kiss with Harry, she wanted to see where it was he wanted to take her. She was also eager for the opportunity to escape her room-newly-turned-prison. There was one problem though.

"When I get grounded, my room door gets bolted shut. I have no way to come out, even if wanted to."

Her mother was very meticulous when it came to ensuring that she stayed locked up when grounded. It was one of the reasons her room was in one of the tallest towers of the castle. She was three storeys up and her door was locked and bolted. There were no servants in the castle who could let her out, the only other occupants being her mothers two pet vultures who were unfalteringly faithful to her mother and her mother alone.

"Climb," Harry said with a shrug.

_As if it's that easy!_

"Look, Tarzan, I don't know how you managed to scale three storeys the last time you were here but there is no way I'm going to be able to do it."

She was skilled at many things, climbing down decrepit, crumbling castles was not one of them.

"If I can do it I'm sure ye can too," Harry responded. "And if ye fall I'll be here to catch ye."

 _Oh, that's very reassuring_ , Evie thought sarcastically.

Catch her he might but survive the impact of catching someone from this height? Doubtful. At the very least they would both have a wonderful collection of broken bones and bruises.

"All ye need to do is use the vines." He pointed to the gnarly vines snaking up the tower, withered and brittle flower heads growing across them. "They held my weight without issue so ye'll be more than fine."

Evie glanced a little further over her window ledge, taking in the full height of her potential climb.

She was perfectly fine with heights and the view from her room was one she was very familiar with, yet the prospect that she would have to climb down the drop made the view seem dizzying. Falling to her death was one path she didn't want to follow her mother down.

_Deep breaths, Evie. Deep breaths. You can do this! Just focus on where you're putting your feet and hands and you'll be fine._

If she did fall she would at least have the comfort of knowing she would be taking Harry down with her.

"Fine," Evie sighed. "Just let me get a few things first."

She put on a light leather jacket and grabbed her apple bag, quickly filling the bag with a few thing she might need. Before she left she also packed the handkerchief she had been working on. Luckily, she had just managed to finish it before Harry had decided to drop by. Now ready, Evie turned to face the window. She slowly approached it, looking over the window ledge nervously. Was it her imagination or was her room getting higher up?

_Well, here goes nothing._

"Any tips?" Evie asked as she climbed out the window.

"Just one," Harry answered. "If you plan on falling for me try to wait till you're on the ground."

"Ha ha," Evie said, rolling her eyes.

She walked right into that, didn't she?

With a sigh, Evie began her descent.

* * *

"So, where is it that you're taking me?"

After a terrifying climb down her tower, Harry had led her to one of the Isles coastlines. The entire time he refused to tell her where they were going, content to merely tease her about her atrocious climbing skills. Admittedly, she hadn't been the most graceful climber. She wasn't looking forward to trying to scale the thing to get back up to her room later.

"We're nearly there," Harry assured her.

They took a turn which lead them on to Goblin Warf. Usually, the harbour was bursting with life and excitement. Merry sailors and pirates would be singing and cheering sailing songs of old or jabbering away to one another about the local gossip and news. Ships would be jam packed with their busy crews getting ready to set sail in the limited sea terrain that the Isle had. The shops would be open, small market stalls lining every empty spot against the walls along the harbour, customers flitting about like bees to flowers.

At this late hour, however, the normally busy harbours and docks were deserted, not a villain in sight. The only company was the slumbering gulls nesting on the rooftops.

There was a heavy silence hanging in the air, disturbed only by the sound of Evie and Harry's footsteps tapping against the wooden floors, the soft breeze ruffling their hair and clothes, and the gentle waves lulling against the docks.

Evie took the opportunity to enjoy the rare sight of the harbour and docks so quiet and eerily peaceful. With how vibrant the life usually was here it was surreal to see it so calm. She noticed familiar graffiti on the shutters of shops; purple tentacles, octopuses, pirate swords, silver hooks and bows and arrows. They were signatures marking the area as Uma and her crew's territory.

A chilly breeze stirred through the harbour, causing Evie to shiver.

"Cold?" Harry asked.

"A little."

She regretted not bringing her heavier jacket, but it hadn't looked that cold out. She was thankful that she had opted on wearing her dark blue jeans today, along with her long sleeved azure turtle neck and dark blue scarf. It wasn't much protection from the cold, but the outfit provided more warmth than many of her other clothes.

The rustling of fabric made her look over to Harry who was unzipping and unclasping his jacket. He took it off and before she could protest he had draped it over her shoulders. The long coat was a few sizes too big for her and fell to about her knees. It was surprisingly comfortable and still warm from Harry's body heat. She thanked him, slipping her arms into the long sleeves. Hopefully, he wouldn't mind braving the cold for a little while, just until she warmed up.

"The cold never bothered me anyway," Harry said, chuckling at the sight of Evie in his jacket.

Harry lead her down one of the wooden docks. It was then that Evie felt a wave of nostalgia cross over her.

"This is the dock where we first met," Evie gasped.

"Aye, that it is," Harry said, smiling.

They walked down to the end where a small rowing boat lay in wait.

It was adorned with a rope of fairy lights around it, each glowing periwinkle blue. At the front of the boat, dangling from a short rusty pole, was an antique lantern to light the way. Inside the boat, it was lined and cushioned with snuggly looking pillows and blankets.

"What is all this?" Evie asked in amazement.

_He couldn't have set this all up for me, surely?_

"Ye'll see," Harry said with a grin. "Give me a second to finish getting her ready."

Harry moved past her, the boat rocking as he jumped down onto it. He pulled off his fake hook, placing it in a safe place before untying the boat from the dock. Once he was finished, he held out a hand for Evie. She took it, allowing him to help her into the boat. With Evie safely on the boat and seated across from him, he picked up the handles of the two rowers and started lightly paddling them out to sea.

"Did you prepare all of this?" Evie asked, gesturing to the decorations, blankets and pillows.

"Aye," Harry said, nodded. "This is yer makeup gift, in case ye were wondering."

"You know you didn't need to go through all this trouble," Evie said softly.

Harry just grinned, a touch of pride on his face. "I know."

Evie smiled coyly, glancing out at the pitch black sea they were sailing out into. It was a frightening sight and she wasn't quite sure she was fond of the idea, no matter how exciting sailing out into the dark unknown seemed. She pulled Harry's jacket around her tighter as she listened to the ghostly sounds of the wind whistling across the sea and the soothing sound of faint waves splashing against the boat. The Isle and the lights of its dim street grew further and further away as they sailed out into the blackness.

Harry suddenly stopped rowing.

"And we're here."

_Here?_

Evie turned away from the Isle to see what Harry was referring to. Off in the distance, she could see the bright night lights of Auradon glimmering across the vast darkness, beaming brightly like a fallen star sitting on the ocean.

"This is as far away from the Isle as we can get without hitting the barrier," Harry explained. He took a small pebble from his trouser pocket and threw it towards Auradon. The small stone bounced off an invisible wall that shimmered like a shattered rainbow on contact, before plopping into the murky waters.

"This is where I come when I need to get away from everything. Being on the sea is one of the few things that relax me," Harry confessed, his voice light and soft, almost on the verge of a whisper. "What I love about this place is it's one of the few places you can truly see the stars."

He pointed heavenwards.

Evie glanced up into the sky, just behind where the barrier lay. She felt her heart race at the beautiful sight that twinkled brightly at her. Stars, millions and millions of dazzling stars clustered across the sky like diamonds and pearls.

Thanks to the barrier, you could never really see stars on the Isle. Only the brightest of stars could pierce through the thunderous and dark clouds, and that was only if the weather permitted. It was such a rare thing, so to see so many stars dusting the night sky was incredible.

"Oh wow," Evie gasped, staring up in wonder.

Harry pulled out a brass telescope from his pocket and stretched it out. He used it to roam the sky, searching out for one specific thing. Finding what he had been searching for, he stood up and moved to sit beside Evie on her bench. He held out the telescope for her. Evie took it and peered through it, allowing Harry to guide her sight.

"See that star... right... there."

Evie nodded, seeing a gleaming star that stood out magnificently against the rest.

"That's the wishing star."

He sang the lyrics of a song lightly.

 _"When you wish upon a star,_  
_Makes no difference who you are._  
_Anything your heart desires,_  
_Will come to you."_

Evie smiled, enjoying the sound of his singing voice.

"If you had one wish then," Evie asked, lowering the telescope and turning her head to look at him over her shoulder. He was very close to her, the small bench forcing them to sit with their sides pressed up against one another. "What would it be?"

Harry looked at her intensely, tilting his head in thought. He looked back up into the night sky, looking at the wishing star before his eyes trailed the heavens to find another star, the second star to the right.

"To get off this accursed Isle," He said finally. "That's the only thing I need wishes for. Once I'm off, I'm more than capable of chasing my own dreams. I'll finally be able to get to Neverland and get revenge for my father against Peter Pan. I'd finally prove to him that I am a true pirate like him. That I'll be just as great as him, and if not then better."

"Your father doesn't consider you a pirate?" Evie asked quietly.

Harry shook his head, his jaw clenching.

"No, he doesn't. A true pirate has sailed the seven seas, he always says. I've never sailed on the sea, not properly. This is the furthest I've ever been. The furthest I can go because of that wretched barrier. He'll never be truly proud of me until I get off this forsaken Isle and prove my worth."

Evie nodded, understanding his plight.

It was one shared by so many of the children on the Isle. They were the descendants of the most feared and notorious villains the world had ever known. Their parent's reputations were vast, engraved into the minds of countless generations. As their children it was their job to live up to that reputation, to carry on their parents legacy and make it greater, to make it something that their parents would be proud of. It was a heavy burden, made so much harder by the limitations caused by the barrier. There wasn't much awe-inspiring villainy you could pull off on an Isle that was forged of evil.

If anyone of them truly wanted to make their parents proud, sooner rather than later, they would need to get off the Isle of The Lost.

"All my mother wants me to do is marry a Prince. He has to have a big castle with a mother in law wing and lots and lots of mirrors," Evie confessed.

Evie knew that her mother's desire for her to marry into royalty wasn't quite a mother's pure wish to secure her daughter happiness and comfort. It was a wish motivated by her mother's selfish desire for a life of luxury and power that she had lost when Snow White and her seven faithful dwarfs had defeated her. The Evil Queen craved the queenly lifestyle and the power that came with it, and it was through her daughter's marriage to a Prince that she planned to reacquire it.

For Evie though, the notion of marrying a handsome Prince and living in a beautiful and lavish palace was a fairytale come true. She wanted to fall in love and live that happily ever after that many Princesses before her had gotten to.

Harry rolled his eyes, scoffing at her mother's desire for her. He moved to the back of the boat, lying down on the cushions. He stretched out his legs and folded his arms behind his head, completely relaxed.

"Yer mother does realise that when evil finally reclaims Auradon and the other lands, there won't be any Princes left? I'm pretty sure they've all got a target on their back," Harry remarked.

It was a fair point, one that she was sure her mother's plan hadn't quite accounted for.

"And what about you? What is it that you want?" Harry asked.

Evie sighed, looking over at Auradon longingly. "I just want my happily ever after."

Wasn't that what everyone wanted?

"Ye don't need a Prince for that, Evie."

"I know." Evie nodded. "But while we're trapped on the Isle let a girl have her fantasies."

Whether or not she would ever find a Prince and fall in love with him, at this point in time, it didn't matter. It was one of her dreams. Her fantasy. An escape from a cruel and grim reality. Her dream may not be real, but it gave her strength and comfort when she needed it. If that dream ever did come true, deep down, she knew it would be nothing like her vision. It would be tainted and sullied by her mother's corruption and opportunism. That new life in a castle with a charming Prince would simply be a newer, prettier gilded cage, but a cage for her none the less.

Evie moved to lie on the cushioned floor beside Harry. She lay on her side, her head resting against his shoulder. She swore she felt Harry's breath catch for a moment, his body stilling before relaxing once more.

"Mind if I lie here?"

Harry cleared his throat, his voice low. "Not at all."

Perhaps it was her imagination, but she swore he sounded a little nervous. Harry and nervousness hardly seemed like a compatible duo though, he was usually so confident in himself. But her nearness seemed to have some kind of an effect on him.

Evie snuggled up closer to him, telling herself that she was only lying here as it looked comfy and allowed her to smooch of Harry's warmth. She didn't know how he was so warm despite wearing a flimsy ripped up shirt with no jacket.

"I didn't think I'd ever see so many stars in the sky," Evie whispered.

Her eyes admired the skies just beyond the barrier, taking in as many of the stars and silver streams as she could. Everywhere she looked she found new stars, some seeming to twinkle in a kaleidoscope of colours.

She felt Harry's hand slip into one of hers, their fingers entwining. It was subtly done, not a word from Harry as he continued to gaze upwards. Evie blushed, glancing over at him. It was then she noticed something was... off. There was a slight frown on his lips, his eyes not really watching the stars, just staring blankly, as though his mind were somewhere else.

"Is there something bothering you?" Evie asked quietly.

Harry didn't look at her. "What makes you say that?"

"You said you come here when you feel like you need to get away from everything."

Harry smirked, though it was without humour. "It's nothing important."

She decided not to press the matter. If he wanted to discuss it with her she knew he would open up to her. Besides, he had already opened up to her a great deal tonight, talking to her about his father and even taking her to his secret sanctuary.

She felt immensely happy that he had taken her here. It was such a breathtaking and peaceful haven, a place surrounded by stars, dreams and wishes. Harry's dream hung in the sky, the second star to the right, waiting patiently for his arrival. And Evie's own dream lay on the horizon, the wonderful, sparkling land of Auradon, filled with castles, shops, Princes and magic. Here they teetered on the edge of their reality and fantasy, the space between the Isle their home and the other worlds that called to them in their dreams.

"One day, Evie, I swear it, we'll get off this loathsome Isle," Harry murmured, closing his eyes.

"I wish we could," Evie whispered.

Neither noticed the shooting star stream across the sky.

They lay there in the nest of pillows and blankets for hours, talking about anything and everything that crossed their minds. Their hopes, their dreams, and their fondest memories. After a while they fell into a comfortable silence, eyes closed and enjoying the quiet lullaby of the sea.

"Harry?" Evie whispered after a long time of silence.

Harry hummed in response, eyes still closed.

"Thank you for bringing me here."

It was a breath of relief to escape from the castle and to see such a beautiful place. There was scarcely anything precious on the Isle to be admired and treasured like this.

Harry opened his eyes and turned onto his side to face her. Evie heard and felt him move and opened her eyes to see what was wrong. She almost drowned in the way he was looking at her, those dark eyes lined with thick mascara starring at her cautiously.

"I have one more thing I'd like to give to ye, Evie," He said carefully.

"What is it?" Evie asked.

"A thimble."

Evie blinked, a little startled by the oddity of the gift.

"A... thimble," Evie drawled uncertainly. "What is with you and thimbles? If you like them so much I have a hundred or so that I can give you."

Harry laughed, his eyes shining with a secret joke that she was not in on.

"I'll make sure to keep ye to that," He said with a cheeky grin.

With his free hand, he reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He leant forward, his eyes closing. Evie stilled, her breath catching when she felt his warm lips on hers. She could taste the salt on his lips, left there by the sea air. It was a brief kiss, chaste and sweet, but it left Evie feeling shivery inside.

"That," Evie whispered as she pulled away, her lips brushing his, "was not a thimble."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Wishing Star is the star in Pinnochio and the song lyrics is from the Disney song 'When You Wish Upon A Star', also in Pinnochio. This is the second song about a star that Harry sings to Evie. He knows all the songs about the stars as Neverland lies among them. Again, the thimble is a reference to the Peter Pan movies. Anyone who sung the lines 'the cold never bothered me anyway~*' loses ten points for their Hogwarts houses, whether you sang it during the chapter or just there in the author notes - those lines are from Frozen's song Let It Go, but I think you all knew that lol. XD
> 
> So, Harry, Uma and Gil's friendship is up in the air. Whether or not their friends anymore isn't quite clear. Also, Evie and Harry kissed!


	9. Something To Dwell On

"Depends on yer definition of a thimble."

Harry closed the distance between their lips again, his hand reaching up to rest against the side of her face, his fingers lightly trailing through her hair. Evie felt herself swept up like a shell on the shore, her eyes falling closed at the gentle sensation of his lips against hers. She kissed him back, her hand that was still in his tightening its grip.

"And I do believe," Harry drawled barely above a whisper, smiling cheekily against her lips, "that ye did say ye had a hundred or so to give me."

He went to kiss her again but his comment had shaken Evie out of her shell shock. The enchantment of his tender and intimates gestures disintegrated into glitter and dust, the full weight of what Harry had done - of what she had done - crashing down on her like a mighty wave against a crumbling cliff.

_What am I doing? I just kissed-_

She pulled away abruptly, moving up into a sitting position, her hair swooshing around her in a wave of blue. She looked back at Harry just in time to see a flash of hurt in his eyes.

She wasn't sure what startled her more. Was it the kiss itself or that flicker of hurt that told her that it had meant something to him?

"That... that isn't what I meant and you know it!" Evie said quickly, nearly stumbling over her words. "A thimble is something you put on your finger so you don't prick it when you're sewing! It's not a... not a-"

"Kiss?" Harry said lightly.

Evie nodded, too flustered to bring herself to say the word. What did he think he was doing kissing her out of the blue? What was she doing kissing him back? And since when was a thimble a kiss?

Unbidden, the memory of her first sword fight with Harry in the Hooks Inlet and Shack washed over her like a shock of cold water.

_"Is this deal one all the customers get offered?" Evie asked, tilting her head. "It's a wonder you're still in business. What do you get if you win?"_

_"How about we keep it a surprise for when I win?" He said coyly._

_"Hmm, I don't think so," Evie replied, crossing her arms._

_She was not foolish enough to go into a wager she knew she would most likely lose, not knowing what was at stake._

_"Alright then, a thimble."_

Oh, there was no way he had meant...

Evie jumped to her feet, her movements rocking the boat. She pointed a finger accusingly at the pirate, backing away to put distance between them. She needed to get away from him, even if it was only by a small measurement. Having those dark eyes watching her so intently and from so close was almost overbearing, if she wasn't careful she could easily find herself drowning in them.

"Explain the thimble thing, right now!" Evie demanded.

Harry sat up, his arm crossed and legs still stretched out. He looked relaxed and calm, but Evie was able to see past his nonchalant defences. The way his jaw was clenched ever so slightly, the alertness in his eyes as he watched her reaction, the way his right hand twitched as though wanting to clutch the handle of his fake hook that he usually held - a small act of comfort she had come to realise. It was these little things and more, small kinks in his armour, that told her he was anxious, no matter how well he hid it. He wasn't sure what to make of her reaction.

"It's a kiss. Don't ye remember the story of Peter Pan and Wendy?" Evie didn't miss the utter disdain in which he said the names. "Peter didn't know what a kiss was when Wendy wanted to give him one. So instead, she gave him a thimble to represent it."

Well, that explained the thimble.

_Note to self, get a copy of the Peter Pan book._

What it didn't explain was why he had given her one...

"Why?"

Harry shrugged. "He was just a clueless boy. He was far too innocent to know what a-"

"No, not that. What I want to know is why you gave me one. Why you... why you kissed me? You tried to do it at Cruella's party too."

Harry stood up, causing the boat to sway gently from side to side. He walked over to her, reaching for her hands. Evie pulled them out of reach, shaking her head. It was best not to touch him right now, lest she fall under his charms again.

"No, explain yourself."

Harry sighed, looking up at the dimming stars as though silently asking for help. They could offer none. He had forced himself and Evie to teeter on the edge of a new threshold in their relationship the moment he had tried to kiss her at Cruella's party. Now he had thrown caution to the wind and pulled them both over that threshold, whether they wanted it or not.

"Harry, you can't just kiss me and expect me not to want answers," Evie sighed. "Our friendship is complicated enough without throwing in...  _that_  kind of thimble!"

Harry turned to look at her, his dark eyes meeting hers. The soft glow of the periwinkle lights bathed him in a gentle glow, making him seem almost vulnerable. He reached up and pulled off his pirate hat, running a hand through his messy brown hair, an irritable sigh escaping his lips.

"Considering yer reaction to my kiss ye'll have to excuse me if I'm not in a hurry to explain why I did it," Harry said defensibly.

He was closing up on her, raising his defences. Evie realised she had to do something before he completely shut her out.

"Harry, I need to know why. Why you kissed me? Why you tried to kiss me at the party? And why you even turned up to the thing in the first place? I need to know that you're not messing around with me, that this isn't a game or just some spur of the moment impulse!"

She needed an answer to her nagging doubts about his intentions, to know where they stood. The kisses weren't something that could be brushed under the carpet and forgotten about. It had happened and now they had to talk about it.

"Did it ever occur to ye... that I like ye?" Harry asked quietly.

Such a simple answer said barely above a whisper. No, such an answer hadn't crossed her mind. Ploys, tricks, distractions, impulses of the moment, yes, but that he liked her? She hadn't even thought that he might like her.

"Evie... I like ye a lot," Harry said, sounding relieved to finally get it out. "That's why I kissed ye. It's why I tried to at the party before that blasted Jay interrupted. And it's the only reason I went to that party, to make sure that ye weren't there when The Queen of Hearts made her grand entrance. People tend to lose their heads around that women."

Evie stood there, shaken by the revelation.

She didn't know how to respond and found herself speechless, staring in wide-eyed shock at the pirate. The silence dragged on as Evie found herself unable to reply, every attempt at words falling flat. She knew she had to say something. The longer she remained silent the tenser and more unsure Harry's features became.

"Harry, I-"

_I need to say something but I don't know what!_

"You have to realise that an us... wouldn't work," Evie said finally, choosing her words carefully.

Not knowing how to express her feelings, scarcely understanding them herself, she opted to voice the impracticalities of a possible relationship between them. Looking at the situation logically would help and let Harry see why them being anything more than friends was a bad idea.

"Our friends hate each other. If they ever found out that we were friends, never mind... something else... they would flip! Big time!"

"And so what if they did?" Harry retorted, a sharp edge to his voice. "Who cares what they or anyone else thinks?"

"I don't want to lose my friends, Harry," Evie replied. "And neither do you. If we started dating then that would be a whole new level of betrayal."

Harry scoffed, a mirthless smirk on his face.

"I'm not going to let anyone dictate what I can and can't do. Not even Uma and Gil. Their issues with it-" Harry stopped mid-sentence, clearing his throat before correcting himself. " _If_ they have any issues with it then they can take a nose dive into Davy Jones locker for all I care."

He couldn't mean that. She knew how close he was to Uma and Gil. He may be willing to cast them aside but it would hurt him and he would miss them, despite his words to the contrary. She didn't want to be responsible for breaking up their friendship.

"Harry, we have to hide the fact that we're friends. Do you really want to be in a relationship where we constantly have to hide in shadows?"

Harry didn't answer.

"It just wouldn't work," Evie sighed. "Not to mention what our parents would say if they found out."

Her mother wouldn't mind her being friends with a pirate, after all, a villain had to keep a sharp eye out for possible allies. What she wouldn't accept was her dating one. Harry may have the charms of a Prince, but he was still a pirate. Her mother would never allow her to be with him. It was a Prince, nothing less.

Evie sighed, lowering herself onto the bench. She buried her face into her hands, feeling utterly lost.

Harry knelt down beside her, carefully wrapping his hands around her wrists and pulling them away from her face. He then reached out, tucking a strand of her hair from her face, his fingers lightly skimming across her cheek and down her neck.

"Evie, all that doesn't matter right now. Ye haven't given me a reply yet," Harry said quietly. "Then again, I haven't even had a chance to ask ye."

_Harry, please don't..._

"Evie, will you be my girlfriend?"

Here was the change that she had known was coming. The change she had been dreading. And it was all Harry's doing. If he hadn't kissed her then they wouldn't have found themselves here, him kneeling before her, waiting for a reply that would set the course for their relationship from here on out.

Again she found herself unable to respond. Surely, it should have been a simple answer. The two of them as a couple was out of the question. Being friends was dangerous enough, never mind becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. Any relationship they pursued would be conducted in secret, hiding away from their friends and family for fear of the consequences. What kind of relationship was that? It was hard enough being friends under these circumstances, but to try it as lovers? She could only imagine it would be far more straining and rife with conflict.

 _Just say no, Evie_ , she told herself, unable to look at Harry.

That one simple word and this situation would be over. If Harry was truly her friend then he would understand and accept her answer, not allowing it to sully their friendship. But if it was such an easy answer to give, an answer that could rid her of this dilemma, why couldn't she bring herself to say it?

"Did you not hear anything I just said about why you and I wouldn't work?" Evie asked.

Harry gave her a smirk, waving it off dismissively. "Minor inconveniences."

_Of course, he would see it like that._

"Harry... I don't know. I can't give you an answer right now."

Harry nodded, delicately taking her hands in his.

"Then all I ask is that ye dwell on it. And if ye decide that you and I as something other than friends is off the table, then I'll accept that. It won't change anything between us. Ye don't want to lose your friends and I don't want to lose you."

Evie leant forward, wrapping her arms around Harry's shoulder in a tight embrace. It was the closest thing to a thank you that she could give him. She felt her heart flutter when Harry wrapped his own arms around her, returning the hug. After a few moments, Harry reluctantly pulled away.

"Right, I think it's best we start heading back," Harry said, moving to pick up the rowers.

Evie nodded in agreement, looking out to the brightening sky. The sun would be up soon and her mother might decide to check up on her. If The Evil Queen found out that she wasn't in her room then Harry's question would be the least of her worries. She moved over to the bench opposite to Harry, watching the morning sky warily. Below it, still glistening with night lights, Auradon sat, growing further and further away.

When they finally got back to shore Harry tied up the boat and walked Evie along the harbour. They walked in silence, their minds busy dwelling over what had just happened between them. When they got to the turn to take them away from Goblin Warf they paused.

"Are ye sure ye don't want me to walk ye back?" Harry asked.

Evie smiled and took off his jacket, passing it over to him.

"I can manage."

Evie turned and began to leave. She didn't get far before Harry's voice caught her attention.

"Evie, take yer time about my question," He called over to her. "Oh, and do try and get ungrounded for next weeks lesson. That blasted tree gets very pernickety when ye don't turn up."

With that said, Harry gave her a low bow, turned around and walked away. Once he was out of sight Evie reached into her bag, pulling out the red handkerchief she had made for him. She had wanted to give it to him tonight, but after what had happened, it seemed wrong to do so. Until she sorted out her feelings and figured out how she wanted to progress with Harry, it would be wrong to give him hope where there may be none.

* * *

The next day Harry found himself in The Dead Man's Wreck, an old tavern on Goblin Warf that he and his crewmates frequented often. It was a standard tavern for these parts, heavily pirate themed with the dominant type of customer being pirates and sailors.

The tables were barrels with fish nets draped over them, a waxed candle in a jar acted as a centre piece, with broken shells and stones scattered around it for decoration. The seats were wobbly wooden ones, little carvings of fish and ships on their backs.

The walls were smothered with all manners of pirate relics and memorabilia, so much so that they resembled museum walls. There were shells, old steering wheels, driftwood with plaques claiming they were from infamous ships, cutlass swords, pirate hats and clothes pinned on to them. On the spaces in between the variety of artefacts, there were faded and ripped portraits of ships and notorious pirate captains like Black Beard, Long John Silver, Davy Jones and Beatrice Le Beak. One of the paintings was of Captain Barbossa and hung above an old wooden piano, it was said that if you looked at it a certain way the image of the Captain would melt away to reveal a dreadful skeleton with tattered clothes clinging to its frame.

Draping from the roof was a wide range of pirate flags, most were black and consisting of skulls, bones and swords. There was also an old rusty cage hanging in the corner of the room from the rafters, a skeleton dressed like a ragged old pirate inside, a bony parrot clinging to his shoulder.

For such a grimly named and decorated place, The Dead Man's Wreck had a vibrant and jolly atmosphere, with people singing, chatting and laughing away. It was the lively and fun air that drew Harry and his fellow crew members here so often. If they wanted a good time here was the place to be, a cosy tavern filled with relics of fellow pirates, jolly folk, and half decent tasting food and drinks.

Harry sat at his usual table beside the green tinted windows. Here he was offered a partial, blurry view of the sea and docks. He kicked his legs up onto the table, drinking from his pint of shandy. He loved watching the ocean, to see the sunlight sparkling off it or the wisp of a shadow that hinted at something lurking beneath. Today though, as he stared out at the waves, it's vast blueness made it impossible to not think of the Princess dressed in blue who, like the ocean, was never far from his mind.

He wasn't sure what would become of them now. He regretted the limbo he had thrown their friendship into, but he didn't regret the kisses. Oh no, not those few seconds of bliss. He just wished he had waited. But seeing her lying beside him, royal blue hair spilling over her shoulders and her eyes shining brightly at him, he found he couldn't resist.

Now all he could do was wait. If Evie didn't want to pursue a romantic relationship with him then he hoped at the very least that it wouldn't ruin their friendship.

"What's the matter, Harry? This place not good enough for your girlfriend?"

Dragged from his thoughts, Harry looked up from his drink to find Uma and Gil standing in front of him. Gil smiled, waving his hand. Uma stood with her arms crossed, looking less than pleased.

"And what can I help ye two with?" Harry asked, raising his glass in greeting.

"We're not here to fight," Uma replied, hands spread wide to show that she meant no harm. "But we would like to talk."

"Really? Then by all means," Harry gestured to the spare seats, "take a seat."

They sat down and called the timid waiter over, each ordering a beverage. Once the waiter was gone Uma turned to Harry.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" Uma said, resting her folded arms onto the table. "You wanna be friends with Evie then fine. I don't like it and I'm not going to pretend to. She helped wreck my ship and I'm not as forgiving as you clearly are."

Harry scowled at the last comment. Forgiving was not a word he would use to describe himself. He was merciless and cruel and never forgot the face of someone who scorned him. The only exception to this was his friends whom he was more lenient with, but it certainly didn't mean he let them off the hook easily.

"However," Uma continued, taking in a deep, restraining breath. "I have... re-evaluated the situation."

 _That can't be good_ , Harry thought warily.

In other words, Uma saw some potential in the situation and was planning on taking advantage of it.

"And we've decided that we have a proposition for you."

_And here it comes..._

"And what's that?" Harry asked lightly, taking a mouth full of his drink.

"How about you ask Evie to join our crew?"

Harry spat his drink out, spraying it all over Gil. Several of the near by pirates began laughing and pointing at the now dripping wet son of Gaston. Gil raised his hands to his face and wiped off the liquid, letting out a disgusted groan. Harry paid no mind to him, his full attention on Uma.

"What?" Harry finally managed to ask, sounding highly dubious. "Ye have to be having a laugh? The other day ye were wanting me to choose between you two and her, and now ye want her as a member of the crew? I don't know what yer playing at Uma, but I'm not biting."

"I'm being serious," Uma replied dryly.

"I have no doubt about that, what I doubt is yer intentions."

Harry might have been able to hold a fierce grudge but his ability to hold one was nothing compared to Uma's. The girl's wrath was as mighty as a typhoon. Once you were in her bad books, you stayed in her bad books. There was no redemption for you. If she wanted Evie in her crew then it could only mean bad news for Evie.

Uma shrugged, tossing her long braids behind her shoulder. "Of course I have my own motives for wanting her to join. There's no use lying about it, you know me far too well for that. As much as I dislike Evie, it's Mal that I have the real gripe against. And although Evie helped wreck my ship - which I will not forgive her for - I know that the plan was most likely Mal's idea. Her little band of scoundrels just went along for the ride as usual."

The waiter arrived with Uma and Gil's drinks, placing them down with a trembling hand before scurrying away from the table. Gil grinned, snatching up his sour milk shake and taking loud, nerve grating slurps of it. Harry sent the boy a dark scowl, promptly silencing his noisy consumption.

"So, with that in mind, I've realised that I can endure having Evie on our crew."

"I still don't see why ye want her to join?" Harry asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well," Gil chimed in, daring to take another noisy slurp of his drink. Uma and Harry both glared at the boy for doing so. "If she's apart of our crew then we three can stick together, right? You don't have to choose between us."

"She doesn't need to join the crew for us to still be one," Harry replied. "All you two have to do is accept that we're friends."

"But wouldn't it be better for the both of you if you were on the same team?" Uma asked. "Think about it. You two wouldn't have to meet up in secret. You could spend more time together. If the other VK's have a problem with it and try to get back at Evie for ditching them then they can deal with us, the whole crew will be there to back her up. And let's face it, our crew offers a much better group of friends than the lame excuse for friends she has now."

 _The idea_ _certainly_ _had its appeals_ , Harry thought, dwelling over the possibilities.

One of the issues that kept coming between Evie and him was the feud between their friends. Her words from early echoed in his mind.

_"You have to realise that_ _an us..._ _wouldn't work... Our friends hate each other. If they ever found out that we were friends, never mind... something else... they would flip! Big time!"_

If they were on the same team it took away that issue.

"And what exactly is in this for you, Uma?" Harry inquired, taking a sip of his drink.

"You mean besides helping out a dear friend of mine?" Uma asked innocently, batting her long lashes at him. Harry gave her an unimpressed look, causing Uma to roll her eyes. "Fine, like I said I have my own reasons."

"Which are?"

"What better way to get back at Mal than to steal her best friend?" Uma asked, an evil smirk on her face. "Truthfully, I'm surprised those two even became friends, considering what happened between them."

"Ye know about Mal locking her up in Cruella's wardrobe?" Harry asked.

"The wardrobe thing?" Uma laughed harshly then let out a low whistle. "Oh please, that's the tip of the ice berg for those two."

When Uma saw the questioning look on Harry's face she gave him a surprised one of her own.

"Oh? She hasn't told you about it? And here I thought everyone knew." Uma took a sip of her drink before continuing. "Since you know about the whole wardrobe thing I'm assuming you know that the two of them didn't get along, Mal holding a grudge because Evie didn't invite her to her party? Well, Mal wasn't the only one miffed off about that."

"Maleficent?" Harry guessed, tilting his head.

Uma nodded.

"Of all the people that Evie and her mother chose not to invite to their party, they chose the one whose mother cursed an entire kingdom for not inviting her to a christening."

"Not the brightest pair, are they?" Gil commented.

Harry lifted one of his feet and smacked it into Gil's chest, sending the boy flying off his chair and crashing to the floor, his drink spilling all over him. Gil went to pull himself up but Harry raised his foot threateningly. Gil held his hands up in surrender and fell back to the floor, sighing miserably.

"Anyway," Uma drawled, glancing at her fallen friend sprawled across the floor. "When Maleficent found out, she banished both The Evil Queen and Evie to their castle, where they remained for nearly a decade, unable to step foot outside. The only way they could get supplies was via their glorified pigeons."

"I'm pretty sure it was vultures," Gil chipped in.

Uma scowled at the boy before returning her attention back to Harry.

"There's that. Not to mention Mal always bullied her whenever she got the chance. They have quite the dramatic history, don't you think?" Uma said. She examined her nails, relaxing back into her seat. "And all because little Mal didn't get invited to a party. That girl always was quite the drama queen."

Harry slammed his hook into the table, splintering the wood. Gil let out a startled cry, jumping to his feet. Uma winced, looking down at the sharp hook now embedded in the table. The entire tavern fell into silence, all turning around to see what the commotion was. One savage glare from Harry had them all turning away, their loud chatter and clinking of drinks continuing as if nothing had happened.

"So how about it?" Uma asked, offering her hand out for him to shake. "Want to invite Evie to join our crew?"

"Yer not gonna try and get back at her for wrecking the ship?" Harry asked, a dangerous edge to his voice that promised trouble depending on Uma's answer.

"I'll let it slip," Uma gritted out, clearly not happy to do so. "For you and only this once. That's what friends do, isn't it?"

Harry grinned and shook her hand.

"So we're not breaking up?" Gil asked cautiously.

Uma rolled her eyes.

"No Gil, we are not breaking up. But if you take one more step towards us with the intention of hugging us I will let Harry hook you and then I will drown you."

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay, Evie? You seem really quiet today."

Dizzy picked up the heat protection spray from the vanity table, spraying a generous helping of the product onto Evie's hair. She put the bottle down and reached for the curlers, finishing off the last few strips of Evie's hair.

"I'm fine, Dizzy, honestly," Evie sighed, still staring blankly at her reflection. "Just... tired."

It had been a few days since she had last seen Harry and she still hadn't decided on an answer to his question. She had imagined countless scenarios of the different outcomes of her two possible answers, each one ending with her losing friends and all hell breaking loose. She knew she was letting her imagination run away with her, but she couldn't help it with how anxious she felt over the whole affair. Tired and on the verge of driving herself insane, Evie had decided to treat herself with a trip to the salon. There she could get her hair done and see Dizzy, who was always a sure fire way of brightening up her day.

"Cause ye know," Dizzy continued, squeezing Evie's shoulder reassuringly, "if you need anyone to talk to I'm all ears! That's what friends are for, right?"

Evie smiled, reaching back and patting the girl's hand.

 _Maybe getting a fresh pair of eyes on the_ _situation_ _could help?_ Evie mused.

"The thing is... there's this... boy."

"Oh, so it's boy troubles that's got you down in the blues," Dizzy said, a big grin spreading on her face. Her smile faded and she tilted her head, looking Evie over from head to toe. "Well, you're always in the blues because you always dress in blue, but you know what I meant."

Evie laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, I got you."

"So what's the issue with him?" Dizzy asked as she curled another strand of hair.

"The issue is he asked me to be his girlfriend," Evie explained. "But I know if we went out it could lead to all sorts of trouble. Our friends don't get along. My mother would disapprove and I'm sure his father would have some objections to me. I know I should just say no and that'll be the end of it..."

"But?" Dizzy drawled, signalling with her hand for Evie to continue.

"But... I don't think I want to say no," Evie said softly.

"Is it because you're worried that he won't want to be friends with you anymore if you turn him down?" Dizzy asked thoughtfully. "If that is the case then he's a complete idiot! Anyone who would throw away your friendship isn't worthy of you."

Evie smiled at the girl's compliment.

Those thoughts that Harry wouldn't want to be friends with her if she turned him down had crossed her mind. She had been worried about how a rejection could alter their current relationship. It could lead to ill and awkward feelings between them, forever tarnishing the comfort they felt around one another. However, Harry had reassured her that it wouldn't change anything, that they would still be friends. She trusted his word over her own doubts.

"No, it's not that. He said it wouldn't change anything between us if I said no, and I believe him." Evie sighed, leaning her head back. "Truthfully, I don't know why I can't just tell him no and be done with all this! All this thinking about it is driving me up the walls! Why does everything have to be so confusing?"

"Hmmm is it maybe because you want to go out with him?" Dizzy asked casually. "That could be why you're finding it so hard to turn him down. Maybe you like him."

Evie's eyes darted up to meet Dizzy's in the mirror.

"I can tell you've been putting a lot of thought into this but what I don't get is why? Why bother if you don't like him? You've listed lots of reasons of why you shouldn't be together but none of that should matter if you're just going to say no."

Dizzy lifted the final strand of hair to curl.

"I'm no expert in things romance related, but I think you want to say yes and that's why you can't say no. All the worrying about things that'll happen if you say yes is you trying to talk yourself out of it because you already know your answer."

Evie looked at Dizzy in silent wonder.

"Do you like him?" Dizzy asked, a questioning look on her face.

Did she like Harry? She certainly liked him as a friend but as something more?

Like one of her old story books, she flipped through the memories she had shared with Harry. So many memories in such a short time, some standing out more so than others.

She thought of a shell necklace and pebbles thrown at windows, of swords and pillow fights, of truces and handkerchiefs, of dancing and chats, of boats and twilight skies, and of near kisses and thimbles. She remembered the tingly feeling that haunted her whenever she was close to him, a feeling no one else was able to make her feel. She thought of how comfortable she felt around him, of how she trusted him and of all the smiles he brought to her face.

Maybe... just maybe... she liked Harry a bit more than just a friend.

That could be why she didn't want to say no, even if it was the smart thing to do. Her head was telling her that saying yes would lead them down a difficult path with consequences lurking around every corner, but her heart wouldn't let her say no, even if it hadn't understood why.

"You know what? I think you might be right, Dizzy," Evie said quietly.

A small smile appeared on Evie's face.

"Well then, why not just go for it? From what you've told me I don't think it'll be an easy pumpkin ride but you'll never get your Prince if you don't take a chan- WAIT A MINUTE!" Dizzy gasped, tossing aside the curlers and swirling Evie around in the chair to face her. "What about Harry? You two were such a sweet couple! Did you two break up? What happened? Oh my glass slippers!"

 _Oh... that's right. She thinks Harry and I are already dating_ , Evie thought, wincing.  _Thanks for making everything ten times more complicated, Harry!_

"Um... actually... it's Harry that I'm talking about," Evie said, biting her lower lip. "He's the boy who asked me out."

"Wait..." Dizzy blinked, a frown creasing her face. "I thought you two were already going out?"

"No, I meant to tell you about that. That day Harry told you that he and I were dating was just him being..." Many unflattering words came to her mind to describe Harry's little let's pretend to be Evie's boyfriend stunt, but she reframed from saying any of them. "Well, he was just being Harry. We weren't going out back then. He was just teasing to get back at me for... something I did."

"Oh," Dizzy drawled.

"Yeah, I tried to tell you but your mother and -"

"DIZZY!" An older woman's voice shrieked from upstairs, the ceiling shaking as someone stomped their feet on the floor above. "GET UP HERE RIGHT NOW! IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR DINNER!

"Oh dear," Dizzy sighed, her happiness deflating a little. "I need to go. But if you ever need to talk I'll be right here, like I always am!"

Evie smiled, pulling Dizzy into a tight embrace.

"Dizzy, before you go I want you to know that you are far smarter than you realise, never forget that alright? You've helped me out a lot tonight," Evie said, smiling thankfully at the younger girl.

Dizzy nodded, a wide smile on her face.

"I won't," Dizzy promised.

"Well, I need to go too," Evie said, rising from her seat. "I need to check out a book from Margaret Gesne's Monster Libary."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Margaret Gesne is the monster librarian in Monsters University - I didn't even know she had a name, but according to Pixar Wiki that's it.
> 
> In regards to Mal and Evie's relationship, I do realise it seems like I'm being really harsh on Mal. I love Mal and Evie's friendships but at this point in the story, their bumpy past is something that Uma is planning on using to try and wedge them apart. I think Evie would still have a few scars in regards to her past with Mal, leaving her some doubts that Uma could try and use to manipulate her. Whether or not Uma prevails and destroys Evie and Mal's friendship we'll have to wait and see.
> 
> Evie and her mother being banished, as well as Evie being locked in Cruella's closet by Mal, is something that occurs in the book - I haven't had the chance to read them so I'm going with the fandom wiki page. I want to incorporate some of the books canon to the story, but not all of it.
> 
> The next chapter looks like it's going to be quite long so it may take me a wee while to do it, but I'll try and update within a week.
> 
> Thank you, everyone, for all your support! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :D


	10. Girl Talk and Acorns

After a week of dwelling on it, Evie had come to her decision. Her nerves begged her to put it off but Evie had decided that she couldn't leave Harry waiting any longer. She planned on giving him his answer today, as soon as the right moment presented itself.

Lost in thought, Evie walked up the winding foot path that would take her to Misery Rock. This fencing lesson would be the first time she had seen Harry since his confession under a twilight sky. Time had passed by far too quickly, seemingly in a hurry to bring about her next meeting with the pirate.

"I'm sure she's on her way ye overgrown weed!"

Evie couldn't help but smile at the sound of Harry's voice snapping at Hauntie in the distance. When she came around the bend and Misery Rock came into view, she found the haunted tree looming over the pirate, two branches like gnarly arms with talon like fingers slowly creeping towards the boy. Its face was contorted into its usual, intimidating glare and the noise it was making sounded like a gravelly growl. Harry was scowling up at the creature, raising his hook threateningly.

_I better get over there before they kill each other._

Meaning no offence to Harry, she would place her money on Hauntie winning that fight - as he had several times already.

Evie shook her head and hurried along the rope bridge that led to their fencing practice area. It was a normal grim and grey day, a light breeze churning the sea. Thankfully, the wind wasn't too strong and the decaying bridge didn't sway too much as she crossed it.

"Harry, I hope you're not picking on poor Hauntie," Evie scolded, placing her hands on her hips.

Hauntie and Harry's attention turned to the approaching girl. Instantly, Hauntie's foul mood improved, something resembling a frightful smile appearing on its trunk. Harry glowered at her, his mouth dropping open in disbelief.

"Poor Hauntie? That waste wood-"

Hauntie snapped his gaze back to Harry, leering over him and snarling again. Evie rolled her eyes. She wondered if those two would ever get along or if they would ever even  _want_  to get along. Harry's constant name calling of the tree certainly wasn't going to win him any poison apple points with it.

Evie made her way over to Harry, gently placing a hand on his shoulder and leaning in close so Hauntie couldn't hear.

"I'm only teasing, Harry," Evie said, smiling coyly.

Harry lowered his hook but kept glaring at the tree.

"So, ready for our lesson?" Evie asked, rubbing her hands.

Hauntie let out another snarl.

"And that would be reason two why the glorified twig is angry," Harry said, taking a few steps away from the hissing tree. "I was wondering if ye wouldn't mind if we leave the lesson for today. There's something I need to tell ye."

Evie eyed Harry cagily, not liking the sinking feeling in her chest.

"Uma and Gil want to meet you."

Evie blinked, taking a bewildered step back. Uma and Gil... wanted to meet her? Why in her mother's name would they-

"They know," Evie realized. "How did they find out?"

"Gil saw us in town a few weeks ago and both he and Uma saw me making sure ye weren't at the party when all hell broke loose," Harry explained. "They want to call a truce. Only between ye and them though. The offer doesn't extend to the rest of the VK's."

"Weren't they angry at you?" Evie asked worriedly.

"Uma was a wee bit... surprised," Harry said cryptically. "But she was fine with it once I talked it over with her. She wants to try and make amends with ye so she's invited us down to the chip shop for a chat."

Evie was astonished that Harry's friends had been so quick to accept the situation. It sounded too good to be true. Uma and her crew extending the hand of friendship that easily? No bitterness over past wrong doings? It almost sounded like a trap.

"I really don't know about this, Harry."

Evie wasn't in a hurry to meet Uma. The first time that Evie had met Uma had been when she had slipped onto the Lost Revenge to steal back her tiara from Harry. Before that, she had only ever seen Uma briefly hanging about in town. It was only because Jay had pointed her out that she even knew what Uma looked like. Jay had warned her that if she was ever out with Mal and saw Uma that it was her job to prevent the two girls from running into each other - unless she wanted to see a titanic battle.

"They won't try anything, Evie. They just want to talk," Harry assured her.

Harry took her hand in his, a small attempt at comfort. Evie looked up at him, the uncertainty shining in her eyes.

Even though she disliked it greatly, Evie didn't feel there was any other option but to go. Uma and her crew knew about them now and it had to be dealt with. At the very least she could try and come to some understanding with them, build a bridge of some kind.

"Okay... when do we need to-"

A shadow fell over them. Harry looked up just in time to narrowly avoid being thwacked across the head by Hauntie's branch.

"Hauntie!" Evie shouted, stomping her foot.

"Ack, ignore him," Harry muttered. "He's just upset that he isn't getting to spend the day with ye. Well, we better get going."

Harry made his way over to the bridge, pausing when he noticed Evie wasn't following.

"I'll meet you around the bend. I just need to have a quick word with Hauntie," Evie called out to him.

Harry nodded, casting one final glower towards the tree before crossing the bridge and disappearing around the bend. Evie turned to Hauntie, her hands on her hip and a disappointed look on her face.

"I thought we agreed that you were going to stop picking on him! You're lucky he hasn't taken an axe to you yet," Evie chastised. "Now, I have a favour to ask you."

Once Hauntie accepted her favour, Evie scurried after Harry. Together they made the long trek back to Goblin Warf, all the while Evie fretted over how this meeting would turn out. She was hoping that it would go well. If it did go off without a hitch, and it turned out that it was true that Uma and Gil had put aside their differences with her and accepted her and Harry, then it gave her room to wonder.

_If Harry's friends are accepting... maybe mine will be too..._

* * *

Harry and Evie arrived at Ursula's Fish and Chip shop an hour later.

The shop was nestled into the corner of a dock and looked to be undergoing major renovations. The windows were smeared with Windolene, obscuring the view of inside. There was a wobbly-looking scaffolding attached to the side of the building, white sheets draping over different parts. Lined up beside the walls were stacks of crates, pots of paints, piles of wood and the shop's sign, which was decorated with the upper half of Ursula's face and the shop's name.

"Are you sure this is where they said to meet?" Evie asked, tiptoeing over some work tools. "It doesn't look like this place is open."

"They're closed for renovations, but Uma, Gil and I still come here for food," Harry explained, putting a hand on her back and gently guiding her through the swing doors. "Kitchen's always open to us. A perk of being a crew member."

The inside didn't look much better. There were only a few tables set, all the others were stacked to one side of the room along with most of the chairs. There were paint pots and boxes of decorations scattered everywhere. Some of the walls had been left partly painted while others were still covered in patches of old wallpaper waiting to be scrapped off. Evie pitied the poor unfortunate souls that had to try and fix up the place.

"When is it this place is supposed to be re-opening?" Evie asked as she looked around.

"Hmm, about a week, I think," Harry replied. A wicked glint lit up in his eyes, a mock expression of worry accompanying it. "Though it looks like they have their work cut out for them. I don't think Ursula will be very happy if they don't get it done in time."

"You got that right," Uma's voice came from across the room.

Two swing doors burst open, revealing the sea witch's daughter. Gil trailed in behind her, waving happily to Evie and Harry, calling out a quick hello.

"You took your sweet time getting here, Harry, I was beginning to wonder if you were gonna show up," Uma said as she strutted towards them. She turned to Evie, scrutinising her from head to toe with one long look. "And you must be Evie. We didn't really have a proper introduction last time we met."

 _Well, you were a little busy trying to feed me to the sharks_ , Evie thought bitterly. She refrained from saying so. If she wanted this meeting to go well then she would need to bite back any scathing and bitter comments.  _Be civil, Evie._

Evie wasn't happy about having to be pleasant to Uma. She did have plenty of reasons to dislike the girl, after all. Uma was a long-standing rival of Mal's, she had been one of the pirates clamouring for Evie to be tossed overboard to the sharks and she had been the mastermind in sabotaging Carlo's party.

However, those reasons were twisted with the fact that Harry had also helped in those deeds. If she could look past those transgressions for Harry, then she could - in theory - look past Uma's role in it too. She didn't have to forgive Uma and she could still be angry about it all, but if she wanted to keep things amicable between her and Uma's crew, for the sake of her friendship with Harry, then she had to be willing to grit her teeth and deal with it.

She could tell Uma's feelings were similar. Despite her friendly demeanour, there was an undercurrent of bitterness in the girl's body language and words towards her. It would seem Uma hadn't forgiven her for wrecking The Lost Revenge.

"No, we didn't," Evie replied, forcing a friendly smile onto her face. She shrugged her shoulders, putting on as nonchalant an air as she could. "As my friend always says, the past is past, forgive forget."

Both girls laughed politely, neither meaning it at all.

"So, this is the girl you've been crushing on!" Gil said loudly with a grin, pointing at Evie. "Right, I can see why you like her."

Uma, Harry and Evie slowly turned around to look at the boy in disbelief. Gil grinned back at them, completely oblivious to the awkwardness he had just created.

 _Does that boy have no social skills?_  Evie thought irritably, trying her best not to let her embarrassment show.

To break the tension Uma cleared her throat loudly and put on a winning smile. She clapped her hands, giving everyone a quick glance. "Anyway, how about some drinks? Harry, Gil, why don't you two gentlemen go and get us all some refreshments?"

"I don't recall gettin hired to work here," Harry said with a scowl, looking unimpressed.

"Why do you need the two of us?" Gil asked, sounding confused.

"Because, Gil, I don't trust you to be in the kitchen alone without hurting yourself or setting the place on fire, again," Uma retorted snidely. "Now hurry up before we all die of thirst."

Gil shrugged and made to leave, not picking up on the real reason he and Harry were being sentenced to the kitchen. For whatever reason, Uma wanted a moment alone with Evie. Harry had picked up on this and before he walked through the swing doors he paused, casting a concerned glance over his shoulders towards Evie. Evie scowled at his back as he left, silently cursing him for leaving her alone with Uma.

"Well, you've certainly got them under your thumb," Evie commented.

"It's a gift," Uma said with a smile. "Let's go have a seat, shall we?"

Much to Evie's discomfort, Uma looped her arm with hers and gave her a quick flash of a smile. Evie allowed Uma to lead her over to a table by one of the windows, near the front door. If any outsiders had looked in and seen them at that moment, they would have been forgiven for thinking that the girls were friends. They both had charming smiles on their faces, their closeness suggesting a comfort around one another. What they wouldn't have known was it was all a pretence, both girls skilled at the art of deception. Neither liked the other, but due to the circumstances, found themselves having to put on an act.

"So, you and Harry, huh? How long have you two been a thing?"

"We're just friends," Evie replied, sounding as casual as she could. "Have been for a while now."

" _Just_  friends?" Uma asked lightly, the hint of a smirk at the corner of her lips.

Evie nodded.

Uma grinned, finally releasing Evie's arm and offering her a seat. Evie sat down, one leg crossed over the other and her hands clasped neatly. Uma slid into a seat across from her, leaning back with her arms crossed.

"I have to say, when I found out you two were friends, I wasn't best impressed," Uma admitted, tossing her braids over her shoulder.

 _I bet you weren't_ , Evie mused.

"What upset me most though was that Harry didn't feel he could trust us. We're supposed to be a crew. And crews have no place for lies and secrets," Uma continued. "But I'm sure you know all about that. I take it Mal, Jay and Carlos already know about you two?"

Evie couldn't help but narrow her eyes slightly, knowing she was being baited. She was positive Uma already knew the whole situation, Harry having filled her in.

"No, they don't."

"No? Hmm, well I can't say I blame you there. Mal never was the most understanding of friends," Uma replied dryly.

Evie didn't even try to hide her scowl, glaring the other girl down. She didn't come here to have Uma insult her friends. Uma noticed the hostility creeping into Evie's body language and held her hands up in surrender, giving her an apologetic look.

"Look, I know you two are friends and all but as her former bestie, trust me, I know."

Evie had known that Mal and Uma had once been best friends. What she didn't know was why the relationship had soured. Mal always brushed it off as something silly whenever she was asked about it, claiming it was all down to Uma being a drama Queen.

"What is it that happened between you two?" Evie asked carefully.

She wouldn't deny that she was curious. A few months ago she had never really bothered about it, but now that the rivalry between Uma and Mal was interfering so greatly with her life she wanted answers. She didn't think that there was anything she could do to mend the burnt bridge between them, there was too much bad blood for that now, but she still wanted to know. Whatever had happened between the two girls was the source of much of Evie's dilemmas today.

"I don't suppose you've heard the name...  _Shrimpy_... being tossed around." Uma said the word with utter disdain, her body tensing in displeasure.

Evie shook her head.

Truthfully, she had. Mal had used it to refer to Uma on numerous occasions, but she had never elaborated on how Uma had come to earn the nickname. Evie was sure it was not a name of endearment and decided to play ignorant on the subject.

"Well, it's a...  _charming_  little nickname that I got thanks to Mal," Uma said, her voice sickly sweet. "A few years ago she tried to pull off a prank and mucked it up. It was funny, I laughed. And despite being best friends, Mal decided that she needed to get back at me for that. So she poured a bucket of shrimps over my head and started calling me Shrimpy. The name stuck. Helped along with her gossiping tongue."

"Just because you laughed at her?" Evie asked dubiously.

"She held a grudge against you for ten years because you didn't invite her to a party," Uma countered, quirking an eyebrow. "Do you really think she wouldn't hold a grudge against me for laughing at her screw up?"

Touche. Evie would give her that. Mal had certainly inherited her mother's love for revenge and vendettas, that she knew.

"I'm surprised you didn't already know about that. It was widely spread a few years ago," Uma muttered. Her face suddenly lit up with understanding. "Oh, that's right. I forgot. You and your mother were banished for nearly a decade by Mal's mother. No, you wouldn't have heard about it."

Evie flinched at the reminder of that decade locked away. She didn't notice the flicker of a smile on Uma's face at her reaction.

"You know, you and me, we're not all that different," Uma said, leaning forward, her arms folded on the table top.

"Oh really? And how's that?" Evie asked, eyeing the other girl warily.

"We're both victims of a Maleficent's overreacting," Uma elaborated. "You didn't deserve to be locked up in a castle for ten years or stuffed in a booby trapped filled wardrobe. And I didn't deserve to be made a fool out of."

"Mal and I are friends now, all that doesn't matter anymore," Evie said harshly, all pretences of friendliness having been melted away.

"Not big on revenge then?" Uma asked lightly.

"I'm up for it now and then. As I'm sure you'll remember," Evie replied sweetly.

The remainder of Evie's role in the destruction of The Lost Revenge did not sit well with Uma. The girl's face contorted into a scowl, her hands clenching. Evie smirked, pleased that the barb had hit home.

Evie hadn't intended to antagonize Uma at this meeting, but the girl's line of conversations wasn't sitting well with her at all. She wasn't stupid, despite what many people on the Isle thought, and she could tell when someone was spinning a web. Uma could put on a friendly attitude and give her all the fake smiles she wanted, but Evie wasn't buying it. She knew the girl didn't like her, still bitter over past wrong doings. Evie knew this because it was the same boat that she was in.

Coming here to this meeting they were supposed to be putting their resentments aside. It seemed Uma had other plans. Whether Uma was just trying to rile her up, make a point, or play a game, Evie wasn't sure. But there was no way she was going to sit idly by and let the girl trample over her friend's names behind their back.

Uma took in a deep, calming breath, plastering on a fake smile.

"Well, just some friendly advice, if I was you, I'd watch my back around Mal. At the end of the day, that girl only cares about herself," Uma said darkly.

The sound of shattering glass caught both girls attention. The noise had come from the kitchen and was quickly followed by a frustrated growl from Harry.

"Gil, ye blithering ejit!"

There was the sound of something metal thwacking against a wall, followed by a large thump.

Uma rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, can't leave those two alone for two minutes," Uma sighed, resting a hand on her head.

Harry waltzed into the room, the doors to the kitchen swinging shut on Gil's face, nearly causing the boy to stumble backwards. Gil barely managed to save himself from falling by slamming his back against the doorframe, the drinks spilling over slightly. He hurried over to the table, dishing them out to everyone before taking a seat. Harry decided not to sit down, instead leaning against the wall beside Evie.

"So, what was it you wanted me here for?" Evie asked, her friendly mood activated again.

Behind her Harry gave Uma a stern look, having picked up the remnants of the tension that had occurred between the girls a few moments before. Uma gave him an innocent smile.

"To call a truce. Gil and I wanted to make it clear that we're cool with you and Harry being friends," Uma replied. "I thought a little get together would be a good way to break the ice."

Uma lifted her glass into the air.

"To new friends."

* * *

Evie stood outside Ursula's Fish and Chip Shop, waiting for Harry to come out. They had spent a few hours in the company of Uma and Gil and were now about to head over to Harry's place, at his request. He had asked her to wait out here while he went back inside to get something.

Putting aside the tense girl talk she had had with Uma, Evie had rather enjoyed the day. They had all laughed and talked, all cautious to avoid any topics that could lead to bickering. Gil had occasionally, albeit innocently, brought up some potentially awkward and trouble stirring conversation starters. After glares, scowls and finally threats from Uma and Harry, Gil had taken the hint and kept mostly quiet.

They also had come to an agreement not to tell anyone about Harry and Evie's friendship, which Evie was thankful for. The whole affair had left her hopeful that maybe, just maybe, her friends might be more open to her and Harry than she originally thought.

After a few moments, Uma exited the shop, minus one Harry.

"Harry's just coming," Uma said, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. "Before you go there's one more thing I'd like to say to you."

"And that is?" Evie asked, tilting her head.

"If you ever find yourself in Mal's bad books again, my doors, are always open."

Before Evie could respond the doors to the shop creaked open and out came Harry, a plastic carrier bag in hand.

"Consider this an olive branch," Uma said, gesturing to the bag of food. "Dinner, on the house."

Evie smiled, nodding her head in silent thanks. Harry tilted his hat and gave Uma a small bow.

"Well, Uma," Harry said, "I'll see ye tomorrow at-"

Two small children shoved their way through the trio, snatching Harry's hook from his hand. They quickly darted down the dock, laughing and jeering as they went.

"Hey!" Uma snarled.

"Come back here ye little runts!" Harry shouted.

Harry and Uma bolted after them. Evie made to follow but someone grabbed her wrist. She swirled around, readying to slap whoever had a hold of her.

"Let me-" Evie's eyes widened, her breath feeling like it had been knocked out of her. "Jay?"

"Shhh! Now let's go before they come back!" Jay hissed. He began running, pulling Evie along with him as he ran down a nearby alleyway. They didn't get far before Evie ground her heels into the road, gritting them to a stop. "Evie, what are you doing? You're kinda making the whole rescue thing a little hard."

"Rescue?"

"From Uma and her crew! I saw Harry pushing you into Ursula's shop," Jay said, looking at her in bewilderment. "Just wait till Mal hears about this. Uma and her crew are not going to get away with this! Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"

_Oh dear..._

Jay thought she had been held hostage by Uma, Harry and Gil. How in Evil's name could she tell him the truth? That she had gone there willing to try and come to an understanding about her friendship with Harry.

Any hopes that she had that telling Jay and the others the truth would go down well, went up in smoke. He was going to be furious.

Of all the people who could have found her... why did it have to be Jay? And under this kind of misunderstanding! Lying wasn't going to save her now. If she played along with Jay's misinterpretation, then it would lead to a full out battle between her friends and Harry's.

Oh, what was that tacky saying that heroes had? Oh right, the truth will set you free. Somehow, she doubted it.

"Jay, they didn't kidnap me. I went there willingly."

Startled, Jay let go of her wrist, looking at her in puzzlement. "What do you mean you went there willingly?"

There was no easy way to say this, nothing she could do to lessen the blow.

"Jay I'm..." She took in a deep breath and braced herself. "I'm friends with Harry."

 _There, I admitted it_ , Evie thought, shutting her eyes and waiting for her reckoning to come.

Several seconds passed and Jay said nothing. Timidly, Evie opened her eyes. Jay was still standing across from her, staring at her blankly.

"You're friends... with Harry. As in... Harry Hook?" Jay finally spoke.

"Yeah," Evie started nervously, wincing. "We became friends a few months ago."

"You're kidding, right?" Jay crossed his arms, scoffing under his breath.

The subtle look of guilt on her face confirmed her admission. Jay gasped, looking at her in utter bewilderment.

"You're not kidding. You're serious! Evie, what are you thinking? This is Harry Hook! Uma's first mate! Our enemy! Did you forget we're at war with them? That he helped ruin Mal's art? What they did to Carlos?"

Jay ran a hand irritably through over his head, pulling back at his hat. He kicked a nearby trash can over, letting out an angry grunt. Evie flinched and cast her eyes away from him.

"It just happened, Jay. I didn't mean for it to happen," Evie said quietly.

"Evie, he's a low life, manipulative, crazy pirate! He's either toying with you or using you," Jay snapped, grimacing at her. "This is just another way to attack our gang! How can you be so stupid?"

Evie looked up at him, her eyes narrowing. "I'm not stupid, Jay."

"Then why are you-" Jay narrowed his eyes, taking a step away from her. "Wait a second. Carlos. The party. That's how they knew... isn't it? Harry found out from you."

The accusation was as good as a slap to the face. Evie let out a harsh breath, her eyes widening in stunned wonder. Jay couldn't believe that. How could he think she would betray them like that? Carlos was her friend, one of her oldest and dearest friends. He was always there for her when she needed him. She would never betray him like that, to set him up for such a vicious prank!

"How dare you!" Evie snarled, her hands tightening into fists.

"How dare I?" Jay retorted. "Then explain why it was you were safe outside when everything was going down? Quite the coincidence, don't you think?"

"I didn't know that was going to happen!" Evie shouted back furiously. "I was outside because Harry showed up! He took me outside to make sure I wasn't in there when The Queen of Hearts arrived. If I had known what was going to happen I would have warned everyone! I would have tried to stop it!"

"Then how did they find out?"

"I don't know!"

Jay took another step back at her furious outburst. Evie stood there panting hard, her hands clutching the edges of her long sleeves tightly. She was livid and hurt. How dare Jay think she would have any part in that prank against them. How  _dare_  he! She could feel hot tears prickling in her eyes. With an angry scoff, she rubbed her eyes dry. Villains did not cry.

"Look, Jay, I know I shouldn't be friends with Harry, but I am not a traitor. I'm not in their crew. I'm not helping them. I wouldn't backstab you all like that," Evie said. "You're my friends."

Jay sighed angrily, looking away from her to stare intently at the ground. "Does Mal and Carlos know about this?"

"No, they don't. And I'd rather they didn't. Just... not now," Evie said quietly.

"You expect me not to tell Mal about this? Evie-"

"Jay, if Mal finds out I'm going to be kicked out the group! I'll be a target of the VK's pranks! I'll be banish-" Evie stopped her panicked rambling, clearing her throat. She lowered her head, biting her lip. "She wouldn't understand."

_I don't think you understand either..._

"Evie, you can't trust Uma and her crew-"

"You can't trust Uma and her crew," a mocking voice echoed from behind Evie.

Evie and Jay spun around to find Harry walking towards them, his hook once again in his hand, glinting dangerously like a sword in the dim alleyway.

_As if this couldn't get any worse..._

"And who exactly are ye to judge, Jay?" Harry asked, a menacing grin on his face. "I take it those rascals stealing ma hook was yer doing."

"I don't know what you're up to Harry," Jay spat, growling at the pirate, "but I swear you're not getting away with it!"

Jay shot forward, ready to launch a fist into Harry's face. Before the two boys could start fighting Evie threw herself in between them, a hand outstretched on either of their chests, keeping them separated. She gave the both boys a warning glare.

"Don't even start this, guys!" Evie snapped.

Jay moved back but kept glaring at Harry. The pirate grinned back, running a finger down the length of his hook.

"I don't believe this," Jay muttered.

"Jay, just hear me out," Evie begged, reaching out for him.

Jay shrugged her off, shaking his head. He walked by Evie, bumping his shoulder roughly into Harry as he passed him.

"Mature as always as Jay," Harry called back to him.

When Jay paused a few feet away Evie thought he was going to turn around and try to fight Harry again. Instead, he took in a deep breath and left the alley, never once looking back. Evie lowered her head into her hands, trying with all her might not to let her emotions get the better of her. She could feel those pesky tears threatening to spill free again.

"Well, that went well," Harry muttered.

"This is so not what I needed right now," Evie mumbled.

Harry looked at her and saw how upset she was. He reached out and put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"Come on, no use loitering around here."

* * *

Evie was awestruck when she caught sight of the Jolly Roger sitting at the harbour. The ship was a magnificent, classical pirate ship, with six billowing white sails tied up to three masts and one black flag with white skulls and crossbones fluttering on the main mast. There were rows of black canons peeking out through ports holes in the lower section of the ship. The main deck was thriving with life, pirates scurrying around doing chores, fishing, and climbing the shrouds.

"Wow," Evie marvelled.

"I'll give ye a tour of the whole ship after dinner," He promised.

Evie stayed close to Harry as he led her onto the ship, taking her down through a series of staircases and corridors until finally reaching his room. When they entered Harry's cabin room Evie's hand flew up to her mouth.

"Oh my evil!" Evie gasped.

Startled, Harry turned to her. "What is it?"

"Your room is actually clean!"

_Not to mention surprisingly fancy..._

"Har har," Harry replied blandly, slowly crossing his arms. "Me Da's quite strict when it comes to ma room."

Harry's room on The Jolly Roger was immaculate, such a stark contrast to his room on The Lost Revenge. The wooden floors were polished and gleaming, much like the glass in the three large portholes. There was a cabin bed over by one of the walls, the cherry coloured bed sheets and pillows tucked in and fluffed. Underneath the bed, there was a built in book case filled with books and the odd ornament. There were thick red curtains at the beds head board, tied neatly with a golden cord. At the other end of the room sat a grand piano, a small table with three stools surrounding it nearby. What was most striking of all was the intricate carvings in the walls and ceilings, beautiful etchings of ships, boats, islands, fairies and pirates.

"I can't believe this is your room!" Evie said, stunned.

Harry walked over to one of the cupboards on the wall and pulled out cutlery, plates and condiments. He busied himself with setting the table as Evie explored his room.

Over by the corner, Evie spied two doors that she guessed was his closet. Curious to see if this closet was as a chaotic a mess as his other one, Evie crept over to it, casting a quick peep over her shoulder to make sure Harry wasn't watching before pulling the doors open. Her eyes widened at the sight she saw. Never had she seen such an organized closet! Even hers wasn't as bad as this and that was saying something!

On either side of the closet were two rails filled with jackets, vests, shirts, trousers and other clothes, all hung in order of colours, darkest to light. Below the rails were many shoes, all polished and lined up tidily. There was a small set of drawers at the back of the closet and after inspecting it Evie found it filled with accessories, all arranged neatly.

"Havin fun there, Princess?"

Evie turned around to find Harry leaning against the closet doors, blocking the exit. She smiled innocently at him, gesturing to the space around her.

"I didn't think you were capable of keeping everything so neat and tidy," Evie giggled. "I thought I was bad, but wow, my organizing skills have nothing on this."

"My da's very insistent on keeping his ship in ship shape." Harry rolled his eyes, looking less than pleased about that. "And that includes ma room. The auld codfish is a stickler for it."

Evie supposed this room reflected Captain Hook's personality more than it did his son. Harry was far too wild for such organization.

"Well, dinners served," Harry said, heading back to the table. Evie followed him and took a seat at the table. "Bon appétite! Fish suppers."

They both dug into their meals, each taking a drastically different approach to table etiquette. Evie placed a napkin over her lap and made sure her elbows never touched the table. She used her cutlery, cutting her food into manageable chunks. Harry, on the other hand, neglected to use his fork and knife and instead eat his food with his fingers, taking monstrously sized bites.

Evie quirked an eyebrow at his outrageous table manners, thoroughly unimpressed.

 _Hmmm, dinner at my castle is so off the menu_ , Evie mused, thinking about how her mother would react to such a lack of manners.

"This food is really nice," Evie said as she sliced her second fish into smaller pieces.

"I'm sure Uma will be glad to hear that," Harry replied, picking up his battered fish with his fingers and ripping a bite out of it. "She's the one who made it for us."

"That was... nice."  _And suspicious_. "It's a little late now but this isn't poisoned, is it?"

Harry laughed, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

"Poisoned treats are yer forte, Princess. This is Uma trying to build bridges."

Evie nodded. She began shoving her food about the plate with her fork, no longer hungry.

Harry was quite lucky that Uma and Gil were accepting and understanding of the situation. Jay's reaction had not gone well and she had no idea if he would tell Mal and Carlos. He had been so angry... surely Mal would be even worse...

Harry noticed the glumness setting on Evie's features.

"I know yer worried about Jay and the other VK's, Evie," He said softly. "Ye shouldn't be. If they were yer real friends they'd try to understand."

Evie sighed, pulling her hair behind her ear.

"Ye know," Harry said quietly, "if ye wanted ye could always join my crew."

"Very funny," Evie said with a laugh, rather amused by the notion.

"What makes ye think am joking?" Harry asked, tilting his head.

"Seriously? Uma hates me." It was a mutual feeling. "And besides, I'm already part of the VK's." Uncomfortable with his joke, Evie tried to change the topic, not wanting to think of the VK's or Uma's crew. When her eyes landed on the piano inspiration struck. "Anyway, the real question here is... can you play that piano over there?"

Harry smirked, "let's find out, shall we?"

Harry grabbed his hook from the table and moved over to the piano, taking a seat down on the long bench. Evie followed him over, leaning against the side of the piano, her hands behind her back. She watched as he lifted the piano's cover and experimentally played a quick glissando, low to high.

"Wait, you can play the piano with your hook still on?" Evie asked.

"Of course," Harry said with a grin, playing a few of the higher notes. "And tonight yer lucky enough to get a private performance."

The first tune he played was a lively one, very fitting for a grand adventure at sea. It made her think of daring voyages and plucky pirates narrowly escaping capture by soldiers. Evie was impressed to see Harry play such a complex tune with such ease, considering he was doing it with his hook in his hand, using its tip like a finger. She could tell he was enjoying himself, his face brightened by the wicked smile on his face.

"Was it your father who taught you how to play the piano?"

"Aye. He taught me when I was a wee yin," Harry explained.

While Harry played for her, Evie decided to continue her exploration of his room. She made her way over to the bookcase under the cabin bed, her finger lightly trailing along the shelves. There were books on astrology, navigation, sea mythology, sailing, pirate laws, history of pirates, pirates of the Caribbean, and many others, including some fiction classics like Treasure Planet and Treasure Island.

"Do you like to read a lot?" Evie inquired.

"I do," Harry answered. "My da always made sure me and my sisters had the best books available on the Isle. And the best tutors. He wanted us to have as good as an education as we could get here. He hopes that one day we'll follow in his footsteps and be the most fearsome Captains that sailed the seven seas. After him, that it."

"Sounds like you've got quite the legacy to live up to," Evie observed.

"We both do," Harry replied, looking over at her as he finished off the last notes of the song. "Yer mother has her dreams for ye and ma da has his dreams for me."

Harry began playing another song, this one like an eerie sea lullaby, that made her think of longing and sadness. Evie took a seat on the bench beside him, watching his fingers and hook slowly move along the keyboard.

"Is that something you want to be one day? A Captain of your own ship?"

"I think one day... I would. Though that'll have to wait till we get rid of the barrier," Harry said thoughtfully. "When that day comes maybe ye'll join me in a big auld adventure across the sea?"

"Hmmm, stuck with you on a long sea voyage?" Evie smiled teasingly. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I don't know about that."

Harry nudged her with his shoulder in response, causing Eve to snigger.

"I'm joking. I don't think being stuck with you would be  _that_  bad," Evie snickered. "You're certainly a good piano player."

"See, what did I tell you? Give it a few weeks and ye'd be singing ma praises," Harry said, giving her a cheeky wink.

Evie closed her eyes, her head still resting against Harry's shoulder. The song lulled on for another few moments, resounding around the walls of the cabin. Evie could very easily have fallen asleep there while listening to that haunting melody. Before that could happen, Harry drew the song to an end.

Evie cast a glance at the boy she was leaning on, her heart aching a little as those misty grey eyes met hers.

She decided that now was as good a time as any to give him an answer to a question he had asked her a week ago. Jay having found out about their friendship had given her pause about doing it today, but she didn't want to keep Harry hanging in limbo over it any longer. He deserved an answer.

"Harry, I have something to give you," Evie murmured.

Harry turned to her expectantly.

Evie reached into her pocket and handed him a red handkerchief with golden embroidery, something small hidden inside. Harry placed down his hook and took the offering from her. He ran a finger over the hand-stitched, golden initials of his name and smiled.

"Did ye make this?"

Evie nodded, smiling.

Harry unfolded the small bundle and looked inside. What he saw caused confusion to appear on his face. He picked up the object, holding it up to his face to examine it.

"Ye got me an... acorn?"

Evie nodded again, her smile getting bigger.

"This is from that moss-ridden tree menace, isn't it?" Harry reckoned. "If ye think I'm plantin this and having a mini version of that horror sittin about ma room, ye have another thing comin, Princess."

Evie laughed, putting a hand on his arm.

"Actually, I have another acorn to give you."

Harry gave her an incredulous look.

"Oh, so not one but two of em? If this is yer way of trying to do me in, Princess, I think I'd rather have one of yer poison apples," Harry commented dryly.

"You'd be the first person to take an apple from me," Evie reflected.

"I wonder why that is?"

Harry put out his hand for the second acorn. Evie looked at his hand, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. The only thing she placed in his hand was her own hand before clasping her fingers with his. Harry gave her a questioning look. Evie simply smiled and leaned forward, placing a tender kiss on his lips. She felt Harry still, his breath hitching. When she pulled away he had a wondrous look on his face.

"That... was not an acorn," Harry whispered.

"Depends on your definition of an acorn," Evie replied just as quietly, a wistful smile on her face. "And according to a story book I was reading about flying boys, pirates and fairies, it can represent a kiss too. A bit like a thimble."

Harry's eyes seemed to light up as he realised what she meant. He looked at her cautiously, gingerly lifting his free hand to rest against the side of her face. Evie leaned forward, resting her forehead against his.

"Evie?" Harry whispered.

"I don't think us as a couple will be easy... but I do know... that I really like you, Harry. Even though you're an insufferable, cocky, cheeky, rotten-"

Harry moved a finger to her lips, silencing her rant.

"Ye don't need to flatter me so much," Harry spoke blandly but she could tell he was trying hard to hide an amused smirk. "Ye sorta ruined the moment a wee bit there, I have to say."

Evie smiled and gave him another quick kiss.

"On second thought," Harry whispered against her lips, "consider it fixed."

Harry suddenly laughed and the next moment he was standing, pulling Evie to her feet. He put his arms around her waist, lifting her up and spinning her around. Evie flung her arms around his neck, letting out an embarrassing yelp. When he put her back down she swatted his arm, glaring up at him. Harry just kept grinning, resting his forehead back against hers. Evie found herself unable to maintain her frown, a smile blossoming on her face at the overjoyed pirate.

Her mother always told her to follow her head, no matter what. And Evie did. She always thought everything out before she acted, perhaps far more than she should. But sometimes, the heart simply wouldn't allow itself to be overruled. Evie didn't know what the future held for her and Harry, but she hoped it was a happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was edited by the lovely Ashara Lynn. Many thanks! :)
> 
> Evie's kiss parallels Harry's. Sorry if that seemed repetitive, I just really like parallels XD The tune Harry is playing at first is Pirate of The Caribean theme tune then he goes onto play Davy Jones theme piano version. Wee bit of a Marvel reference to Groot there. Can you imagine a mini Hauntie living with Harry? Poor boy wouldn't last a day.
> 
> So, Uma and her crew's interactions with Evie are quite underhanded here. Gil seems genuinely cool with it. Uma is putting up with it at this point for Harry and so she can get back at Mal. Harry genuinely wants Evie on his crew and is well intentioned in that desire. But he's also playing games like Uma is with subtly trying to make Evie question whether or not she wants to stay friends with the VK's while also presenting her with his group as an alternative. It's sneaky and manipulative buuuuut they're villains. It's what they do. The question is... will they get away with it? Or will Evie see through it? Ooooor something else? Any theories?
> 
> What will Jay do now that he knows?
> 
> According to the books - or at least the fandom wiki page - that's why Uma gets called Shrimpy.


	11. The Calm Before The Storm

As promised, Harry gave her a tour of The Jolly Roger. Along the way, he introduced the crew members that they came across, briefly explaining their roles on the ship and how they came to join the crew. Despite their grizzly and fearsome appearances, most were jovial and humorous souls, who were happy to meet Evie's acquaintance. The occasional pirate would give Harry a quick wink and a nudge with their elbow, teasing him about his new friend, much to Harry's irritation.

"You're quite close with all of the crew members, aren't you?" Evie observed as they left the galley.

"I was raised with most of em," Harry explained. "And it doesn't matter how old I get, they still see me as a bairn. It's annoy-"

The loud sound of a gun firing cut Harry off. Evie jumped in surprise. Besides her, Harry didn't even flinch, so accustomed to the noise.

"Wait for it," Harry drawled, staring at the finely crafted door at the end of the corridor.

"SMEE!"

The door flung open and out scurried a small man with scruffy white hair sticking out from under a red cap. He was dressed in a blue and white striped belly top, blue three-quarter length trousers and brown sandals. Evie gaped at the older man's atrocious attire, scandalized by the dreadful style of clothes. Surely, even pirates had standards?

"I'll get em straight away, Cap'n! Don't ye worry, now!" The little man blubbered away quickly, frantically bolting down the corridor.

He was in such a fluster that he didn't notice Harry and Evie standing in the middle of the corridor and dashed straight into Harry's legs. With a yelp, he fell over and thwacked his head. He struggled to push himself up into a sitting position, looking around rather dazed. Evie half expected a circle of dancing stars to form around his head.

"Oh my, what in the blazes?" The man glanced up. "Why upon my word! Master Harry! Yer home!"

"Evie, this is Mr Smee, ma da's first mate," Harry said, helping Mr Smee to his feet. "Mr Smee, this is Evie."

Mr Smee took Evie's hand, shaking it vigorously. "Why it's a pleasure to meet yer acquaintance, Miss."

"Charmed," Evie said with a smile.

"MR. SMEE! WHAT IS TAKING YE SO-"

The door at the end of the corridor burst open, slamming into the wall and leaving an indent. Evie and Smee jumped again, swirling around to find a tall man standing in the doorway, waving a hook threateningly in the air. He was dressed in traditional pirate attire, a long red coat, a fancy matching hat with a puffy white feather sticking out of it, and a white, frilly jabot.

Evie felt her mouth drop open.

This was a man of legend. One of the most notorious and respected villains to ever sail the seven seas. His presence seemed to fill the room, a sense of thundering danger looming around him.

Captain James Hook. Harry's father.

When he caught sight of Evie his face fell and he instantly composed himself, straightening his ruffled attire.

"Oh, my! I didn't realize we had a guest," Captain Hook said calmly, his voice taking on a charming ring to it.

Evie was rather startled by how quickly he seemed to soothe his temper. He walked towards them, head held high before taking his hat off and giving Evie a low bow.

"No prizes for guessing who this sublime pearl is. Ye must be Miss Evie, the daughter of The Evil Queen, no?"

"Yes, I am," Evie replied, smiling politely.

"Harry, my dear boy, ye should have informed us ye were havin a guest!" Captain Hook swatted his son's arm, giving him a scolding look. "And royalty no less!"

"It was a spur of the moment thing," Harry replied. "Evie, this is ma Da, not that the introduction's needed. Da, this is my girlfriend, Evie."

"Girlfriend, ye say?" Captain Hook looked positively pleased. "Don't know how this young cod fish managed to catch such a fine lady as yerself."

Evie sniggered, more amused by the embarrassed scowl on Harry's face than Hook's compliment.

_Well, now I know where Harry gets all his charms from_ , Evie mused.

Harry cleared his throat, giving his dad a pointed look. "I'm just giving Evie a tour of the ship."

"Ah! I see! Well, we shan't keep ye any longer," Captain Hook said, taking his son's hint. "Though I must insist, my dear girl, that ye accompany us for dinner when yer able. Yer more than welcome to bring yer mother, as well."

Evie was rather taken aback with the offer, more so the suggestion of bringing her mother. The Evil Queen having dinner with pirates? She would be all for making allies but if the other pirate's table manners were as bad as Harry's were then bringing her around for dinner would be a terrible idea.

Not to mention her mother may find out about her and Harry. If The Evil Queen knew her daughter was dating a pirate the fit she would throw would make Hades' volcanic rage seem like a candle.

"When is it yer free, Miss?" Mr. Smee asked, pulling out a small notepad from his back pocket. "That way I know when to order in some extra grub."

Evie cast a glance to Harry. He nodded to her, giving her a silent okay, even though she could tell he wasn't quite thrilled at the idea of the dinner.

"Um, next Tuesday," Evie replied.

"Perfect!" Mr Smee said, scribbling the date down on his note pad.

"Splendid! Well now children, best be off with ye!" Captain Hook said, smiling charmingly. "And if that boy of mine gives ye any trouble, let me know and he'll be walking the plank faster than he can blink!"

"Dad!" Harry gritted out, mortified by his father.

Harry grabbed Evie's hand and pulled her away, muttering irritably under his breath as they went. As soon as they were out of earshot of Hook and his first mate Evie erupted into a fit of giggles. Harry stopped, turning around to look at her.

"What about that was so funny?"

"Just your face. I've never seen you look so embarrassed!"

"He'll only be worse if ye come to dinner," Harry sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "And ma sisters might be there too if he has his way. And they're far worse."

"I'm sure it'll be fun," Evie said with a smile.

* * *

A few days later Harry invited Evie out to Ceto Lagoon.

She had been quite excited about it, seeing it as a chance to get away from the tension within the VK's - at least until she had to meet Mal later that day.

Since Jay had found out about her and Harry he had been giving her the silent treatment. He wouldn't talk to her if he could help it, he avoided being near her and was very cold and blunt in the few interactions they had. Whenever he saw her the smile on his face would vanish and he would brush past her, refusing to look her in the eye.

Evie hated how sour their relationship had become. What hurt her most was how it was affecting the rest of the group. The other VK's had picked up on the tension between her and Jay but said nothing, silently enduring the hostile air lingering between them.

The one thing she was thankful for was that Jay hadn't told the others about her and Harry yet. She didn't know why he hadn't, but from the look in his eyes, she could tell that he was seriously contemplating it still.

Being with the other VK's with the looming threat of Jay snitching was slowly sucking the life out of her. She was tired of being constantly on edge, waiting for her world to crumble. She was sick of the horrid atmosphere plaguing them and draining all the fun out of their usual mayhem sprees through town, all because of the tension between her and Jay.

When Harry had offered to take her on a date, she had pounced at the opportunity.

At least, she had thought it had been a date. As it turned out it was a work-related trip that he wanted her to accompany him on. His father needed more stock for his shop and had requested - well, demanded - that Harry go out to collect some. For whatever reason, this required them going to the lagoon.

Ceto lagoon was an awe-inspiring place. It was surrounded by massive, glittery, black cliffs that stretched out to the sea, crossing over the bulky strip of rocks that separated the lagoon from the ocean. Small caves and arches were speckled across the cliff's walls, the wind and waves clashing against them. There were very few sandy spots to lie down on; most of the terrain consisted of jagged rocks. The way down to the secluded area was via a hazardous stone staircase carved into one of the cliffs.

"Ye ever been here, Princess?" Harry asked as they neared the bottom of the crumbling stairs.

"Nope," Evie replied, wincing as the edge of one of the steps cracked under her foot. "It's quite the wicked place."

Once they reached the bottom of the stairs Evie let out a breath of relief. Carefully, they made their way over to the rocky beach and set up a large picnic blanket on one of the flatter rocks near the water.

Evie made herself comfortable, pulling out her sketchbook to work on some designs for new outfits. Harry pulled off his jacket and hook, leaving them beside Evie. Evie gave him a curious side-glance as he rolled his trouser legs and sleeves up as high as they could go.

"Are you planning on going into the lagoon?" Evie asked, looking out at the imposing stretch of murky water.

"Aye, that I am." Harry pulled on a satchel that he had brought with him. He gave Evie a playful wink. "Care to join me?"

Evie snorted, "not on your life, pirate boy."

"Want to know an interesting fact about this place?" Harry asked her as he jumped down from the rocks and into the shallower part of the water.

"And what's that?"

"The reason it's called Ceto Lagoon is because that's the name of the sea monster that's said to be trapped here," Harry explained. "A few members of ma da's crew swear they've seen it."

"Well if you get eaten it's your own fault," Evie replied dryly.

Harry chuckled, going further into the water until he was in knee deep. He began looking around, peering into the waters and occasionally reaching in and feeling about the sandy floor. For the next hour or so Evie tried to concentrate on her fashion designs, but she was rather curious as to what he was up to.

"What exactly does this all have to do with your work?" Evie asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"This is where I find things to sell for the shop," Harry explained. "During high tide, a lot of bits and bobs from outside the Isle ends up washed up on the rocks. If I find anything decent then I give it a good auld wash and polish before selling it."

"Ah, I see," Evie said, nodding.

_So that's where Harry's dad gets his shop's goods._

It was always interesting to find out where people got the products for their shops on the Isle. Very seldom did anyone purchase their goods honestly. Most either stole them, gambled for them, or scavenged the goods as Harry did.

"This is also a good spot for finding fishing gear. A lot of people like fishing here but with all the rocks and seaweed they lose their lures and hooks quite easily," Harry continued. He lifted a glistening lure that looked like a small, blue and yellow flounder fish, a hook dangling from its mouth. "See, told ye."

Harry threw the lure into his satchel and continued his search.

"Is this where you got the shells for my necklace?" Evie ventured to guess.

"Nah, ye'll never find anything quite so pretty in these parts," Harry replied, wading a little further into the water. "Uma's the one who gets the shells for me. She's a much better swimmer and can go much further down. I cover a few night shifts for her and she fetches me the best shells that the Isle's sea has to offer. And anything else she can find."

Evie wasn't quite sure she was happy with the knowledge that Uma had played a part in the making of her necklace from Harry. She didn't think Uma would be too thrilled either.

Something shiny caught Evie's attention. She glanced down to her picnic blanket and found a small coconut crab blinking up at her. Its shell was decorated with dazzling, tiny, gold trinkets, making it glimmer and gleam. It had two monstrously large claws and seemed to be missing a leg.

Evie squealed, jumping to her feet. She drew back her leg and kicked the crustacean towards the water. The little crab soared through the sky. Evie had just enough time to realise what - or rather who - it was going to land on.

"Harry, watch out for the-"

Too late. Harry glanced up just in time to be smacked in the face with the flailing decapod. The pirate let out a yell as he fell backwards into the water with a splash! Evie covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide and staring at the spot where the pirate had vanished beneath the small waves.

_Oops._

Harry broke the surface of the lagoon a few seconds later, spluttering and coughing. Clutching onto his hair was the little crab, looking shell-shocked. Harry shot up to his feet, grabbing the crab and chucking it into the deeper waters. He then turned to face Evie with a murderous look on his face. He was soaked straight through, his shirt now translucent, hair plastered to his face and mascara running down his cheeks.

Evie couldn't help it. She burst out into hysterical laughing.

"Really, Evie?" Harry snapped, hitting the water angrily.

"Oh, my-" Evie could barely breathe, her sides hurting. She took in a deep breath, trying to regain control of her laughter. "You know Harry... you could say that you're dripping with good looks now."

Harry tried to splash her with water but she was too far away. Her laughter only intensified, tears running down her face.

"Princess, I swear I'm gonna get ye for-" Harry let out a startled shout as he slipped on some seaweed, once again falling into the water.

Evie had to cover her mouth to stop the ugly snort threatening to break free. Through tear-blurry eyes, Evie watched the water, waiting for him to resurface. Oh, the teasing he was going to receive would be glorious! She was never going to let him live this down.

It was only after a few moments had past that her laughter died down, a growing worry sobering her mood. Harry should have come to the surface by now.

"Harry?" Evie called out.

Bubbles breaking the surface of the water was her only response.

"Harry!"

Evie scampered over the rocks, taking great care as to where she put her feet. The rocks were covered in a slimy green moss and seaweed that popped noisily when stood on. She reached the rocks closest to where Harry had gone under and knelt on her knees, peering over the edge, looking for the pirate.

Anxious thoughts began to ambush her. What if he had whacked his head and was unconscious? Or what if something lurking under the waters had nabbed him? What if-

A dark shadow appeared in the water.

Evie realised a moment too late her mistake. As if Harry would pass an opportunity to cause some mischief and get revenge. Before she could retreat out of his reach Harry had broken the surface, lunged forward and grabbed her by the upper arms, yanking her off the rock. Evie let out a shriek as she and Harry fell into the freezing water, her body tensing up at the sheer coldness. Evie gasped as she stood up, her feet barely able to touch the sandy floor.

"You... you..." Evie stuttered, shivering from the cold. She flipped her soaking, matted hair out of her face, gasping for air. "Underhanded, sly, slimy son of a-"

Harry splashed Evie with water, earning him an angry snarl from her. The pirate laughed as he threw himself back into the water, floating on his back. He gave her a cheeky grin, his eyes shining mischievously.

_That infuriating, arrogant, swine!_

Her clothes weighed down heavily on her, the leather clinging to her skin uncomfortably. She dreaded to think how she must look. Her makeup would be running off her face, mascara staining her cheeks. The thought made her blood boil. She really,  _really_  was going to kill him this time!

Evie struck the water then began trudging her way towards him. When she got closer she began splashing him, cursing and calling him every name under the sun. Harry laughed and began tossing water back at her.

As always, whether it be with swords, words, pillows or now water, it came down to a fight between the two of them. Evie was determined she wasn't letting Harry have any more tallies against her in their games of war.

_Oh, you are so done for this time, Harry Hook!_

So consumed with her determination to put the pirate in his place, Evie didn't realize she was falling for his trap. Harry was slowly backing her into a corner against the rocks. Evie only noticed what he was doing when it was too late. Her back hit the rocks and the next thing she knew Harry had managed to cage her there, his hands resting on the rock at either side of her head.

"You are insufferable," Evie mumbled.

"And you," Harry said, leaning in close, "are beautiful."

"Not right now I'm not!" Evie narrowed her eyes. "Thanks to you, I'm a mess, again!"

Harry rolled his eyes, smirking. "Hmmm, debatable. Now, do ye surrender, Princess?"

Evie glowered at the pirate, sinking into the water so half her face was below the waterline. The next moment she popped her head fully out of the water, spraying out a mouth full of water at the pirate's face.

Harry's winced, spluttering and shying away. Evie grinned and immediately tried to take advantage of his momentary confusion. She tried to slip under his arms, but Harry, much to her annoyance, was faster than her. He managed to wrap his arms around her, keeping her from swimming away.

"Nice try, Princess," Harry replied cheekily. "But I win. And I think I deserve a prize."

Harry's eyes fell to Evie's lips. Tenderly, he reached for her chin, tipping her head back before leaning down and placing his lips on hers. Shyly, Evie slipped her hands onto his chest, trailing them upwards so she could wrap them around his neck. After a few seconds, Evie pulled away, a stern look on her face.

"I'm still annoyed at you," Evie said.

"And ye think I'm thrilled that ye chucked a snapping crab at me?" Harry retorted, quirking an eyebrow.

"That was an accident!" Evie corrected, giving him an offended look. "You pulled me into the water for petty vengeance!"

Harry gave her a grin. "Well, maybe I can make it up to ye."

He gave her another quick peck on the lips before moving to her neck, sprinkling tiny, spine shivering kisses down to the base of her collar.

"Fine," Evie mumbled, "I'll let you away with it this time, but-"

_Time... time! What time was it?_

"Harry, what time is it?" Evie asked, pushing him away.

Harry glanced up at her, looking a little irritated at having been disturbed. He reached into his trouser pocket, pulling out a rusty, old pocket watch. He flipped it open, checking the time.

"Hmm, if this thing is still working, then about half two."

Evie glanced at the clock, looking at it with a frown.

"Harry... that says three o'clock."

Harry looked back at his pocket watch with a frown of his own.

"I need to go. I promised Mal I'd... well, that I'd meet up with her." She didn't feel it was appropriate to tell him that she was going with Mal to repaint the last of the graffiti that represented the VK's territory. "I don't think I'll be able to see you until the dinner with you and your Dad."

"Don't go and tell her ye forgot," Harry muttered, moving forward to kiss her again.

Evie shook her head, stopping his lips with two fingers. She gave him her no nonsense look. To fully convince him she decided to say something that she had picked up in a certain book.

"Harry, I need to go. It would be  _poor form_  not to."

Harry let out a sigh, resting his head against her shoulder.

"I'm startin to wish ye hadn't read that blasted book now," Harry mumbled.

According to the Peter Pan book she had read, good form meant everything to Captain Hook. Evie knew there was no possible way he wouldn't have passed that philosophy down to his son.

"Fine," He muttered.

They made their way out the lagoon, a trail of water following them from the lagoon over to their picnic blanket. Evie rung out her hair then ran a hand through it, cringing at the knots and tangles. There would be no fixing this. She would just have to give it a good brush then throw it into a messy bun until she got home.

Evie sat down and began reapplying her makeup, trying to make herself presentable for the long walk home. Harry was a few feet away, ringing out his clothes.

"Here," Evie said, passing him a mirror, pencil eye liner and mascara when he sat down next to her.

Harry accepted them and Evie watched him as he began applying the eyeliner to his eyes. He then reached for the mascara and began applying that too. Evie could only endure watching his terrible technique for so long before she huffed out a puff of air and moved to kneel in front of him, snatching the mascara from his hand.

"Here, let me. Your technique is awful," Evie said as she began applying mascara to his eyes lashes.

"Maybe so, but my finish is flawless," Harry replied with a cheeky grin.

"Hmmm, you really don't want me to comment on that," Evie murmured, moving on to his other eye. "You should try using this mascara more. It's Dark Heart 13."

Harry scoffed, "Nah, I'm loyal to my brand."

"Let me guess, Black As Night 36?" Evie rolled her eyes at the surprised look on his face. "Thought so. That stuff is notorious for leaving big clumps on your lashes. Dark Hearts, however, slips on flawlessly and makes them look much bolder."

Once they were satisfied with their makeup, Harry and Evie began the tedious and treacherous walk back up the cliff. Evie was thankful when Harry gave her his jacket, the only article of clothing they had between them that was still dry.

"What time is it ye need to meet lizard features?"

"Hey!" Evie slapped Harry's arm. "Don't talk about her that way!"

Harry held his hands up in surrender at the dangerous glare Evie gave him.

She wouldn't tolerate anyone talking about Mal in such a manner, not even Harry. Friends didn't let others bad mouth their friends behind their backs. A true friend looked out for them, especially when their backs were turned. It was that moment when they were most vulnerable and needed their friend's protection the most.

"And I'm to meet her at five," Evie continued. "And before you say that's ages away, I need to go home first, shower, fix my hair, look out a new outfit, reapply my makeup, then go all the way back into town to meet Mal."

Eventually, they reached the top of the cliff and headed back in the direction of town. They decided to take the back routes, allowing them to enjoy each other's company for a short while longer. Once they reached the small forest path that would lead Evie up to her home they stopped.

"Here's your jacket back," Evie said as shrugged off the jacket and handed it back to him.

Harry accepted it and slid it back on. Evie smiled and went on her tippy toes, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek before he left. As she walked back towards the castle, she couldn't help but look back and watch his figure disappear into the shadowy forest.

* * *

Diablo Alley was nestled away at the furthest edges of town, closest to Goblin Wharf. It was here that marked the end of the VK's territory, the street after it claimed by Uma and her crew.

Mal was busy spray painting one of the walls, the rattle of her can and Evie's humming the only sound in the deserted alley. Evie was sitting on top of one of the low walls, her legs crossed and her hands splayed flat on either side of her.

"What do you think, Evie?" Mal asked, taking a few steps back to admire her newest tag. When Mal received no answer, she looked up to find Evie utterly absorbed in her reflection in the window across from her. "Evie!"

"Huh?" Evie looked down, giving Mal a startled look. "I missed that. What did you say?"

"I asked you what you thought about my new design?" Mal said, gesturing to the wall.

Evie looked over to the wall, her mouth falling open at Mal's newest creation. It was like her Maleficent and Jafar pieces, only this one was of her mother. The Evil Queen had her back turned, her arms out wide to allow her long dark cape to be stretched out and draped. Written on her back was the words Long Live Evil!

_Oh, Mal you have outdone yourself this time_ , Evie thought, starring ardently at the artwork.

"I realized I hadn't made any territory marks that represented you or Carlos," Mal commented, "this is the design to represent you that I've been working on for the last few days. Like it?"

Evie smiled, touched by her friend's thoughtfulness.

"I love it!"

Mal threw the empty spray can to the ground and joined Evie up on the wall. She folded her arms, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Truthfully, I should have made that a long time ago. You've been in our group for what? Over a year now?" Mal said, swinging her legs. "The thing is - and don't think I'm getting all mushy on you - but I felt that I had to do it now."

"Why is that?" Evie asked, tilting her head.

"You've seemed... distant the past few months. I don't know. It's like you've got something heavy weighing on your mind. I thought if I made you and Carlos a territory signature it might make you guys feel more..." Mal waved her hands in the air, as though it would help her conjure the words she was looking for.

"Like part of the group?" Evie offered.

Mal snapped her fingers, "that's it!"

Evie smiled, but inside she felt awful, guilt rearing its head again. Here was Mal trying her hardest to be a good leader and make her friends feel like members of the group. Then there was Evie rendezvousing with the enemy. And now that Jay knew it was only a matter of time before Mal found out.

All the joy Evie felt slowly began ebbing away again.

"So, what's going on between you and Jay?" Mal asked. "I've noticed a certain... tension between you two. Carlos has noticed it as well."

"We just had a... disagreement," Evie said quietly.

_Major understatement_ , Evie thought, unable to even look at Mal.

"Look, Evie, I know we're not the closest but... if you ever want to talk about it, you know you can, right?" Mal reached out, hesitating only a moment before placing her hand on Evie's shoulder in a comforting gesture. Evie finally glanced over to Mal, noticing that the girl was pushing the boundaries of her comfort zone to offer what little comfort she could. "I mean, isn't that what friends are for?"

"It's nothing," Evie lied.

"Well, if you change your mind, I'm here to lend an ear," Mal said, patting Evie's shoulder awkwardly.

Evie gave Mal a tight smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Can I ask you something, Mal?" Evie asked lightly. "What happened between you and Uma?"

Mal bristled like someone had scratched her scales the wrong way at the mention of Uma. She fell back into a more relaxed manner, more comfortable to talk of foes than feelings.

"She's just a drama queen," Mal said with a shrug.

Evie nodded. She wasn't surprised by her answer, but it did irk her. She and Mal had been friends for over a year and yet Mal still didn't want to trust her with the reason their group was at war with another one. And yet Mal wanted Evie to trust her?

What made it more bitter was that Uma, who barely knew her, hadn't hesitated to tell her about her and Mal's past.

"What about the rest of her crew? Gil... Harry?"

"I never had any grudges against those two personally," Mal replied nonchalantly. "We became enemies when they sided with Uma. That's it really. Though all the pranks Jay and I have pulled on them over the years should have given them  _plenty_  of reasons to personally hate us now."

Mal smiled fondly as she reminisced on all her past mischief making.

"Didn't you use to date Harry?" Evie asked quietly, scarcely able to look at the other girl again. "I heard a rumour that you two-"

"It was just that, Evie. A rumour," Mal sighed exasperatedly. "Really? You should know better than to trust rumours in this place."

_Fair point_ , Evie conceded.

"And besides, boyfriends are just-" Mal shivered. "Ew. No way! Nu-uh. Not happening. Like… ever."

"You know what, Mal?" Evie said with a small smile. "I think one day you'll find your prince. And I bet it will be in the most unexpected of places that you find him."

Mal snorted, "unlikely."

Evie smiled wistfully, staring up at the dark clouds as she thought of a frosty dock and a single star shining in the sky.

* * *

Someone was whistling.

Harry stood on the dock beside The Lost Revenge, winding up a pile of ropes by looping them over one arm. As he did his task, his eyes scanned the boat, looking for the culprit. He knew the whistling was coming from somewhere on the ship, no one else being on the dock at this late hour. Whoever was responsible was going to be hooked squarely in the jaw.

You did  _not_  whistle on a ship. There was an old superstition among seafaring folk, one that said whistling on a ship brought bad luck and storms.

As if on cue, Harry picked up on the sound of footsteps approaching him. He glanced over his shoulder, a malicious grin forming on his face.

_Would ye look at that? Bad luck just walked onto the dock._

And here he had been hoping for a quiet evening of villainous chilling.

"Well, well, well, look what the catfish dragged in," Harry said in a seemingly friendly tone, but there was no masking the hatred lurking there, "to what do I owe the unpleasant surprise, Jay?"

"I'm here to give you a warning," Jay replied.

Harry fought back a snort, tossing the coiled rope to the ground. Jay coming here to threaten him? Really now, the boy should know better.

"Oh, really?" Harry said in a mock-scared tone. "I'm quakin in ma boots."

Jay walked over to him, standing a few feet away. He had his arms crossed, a dark scowl on his face. Harry desperately wanted to laugh at Jay's pitiful attempt to appear threatening.

"I want you to stay away from, Evie."

Although the amused grin on Harry's face remained, any humour he felt for this unwelcome visit evaporated upon Jay's suggestion. He narrowed his eyes at the boy and leaned his back against the wooden pole behind him. He ran a finger down his hook, examining it idly.

"I don't care what you want, mate. I'm not staying away from Evie, not for you or anyone else." Harry smiled smugly. "And I think ye'll find that Evie feels the same way."

"What exactly is it that you want from her? Don't even try to pretend that you want to be her friend cause I'm not buying it," Jay snapped.

"Since when do ye buy anything?" Harry laughed, shaking his head. "Yer nuthin but a petty thief. And that's all ye'll ever be."

Jay clenched his hands into fists. The next moment he had grabbed Harry by the collar of his jacket and slammed him against the pole. His face was contorted into an angry snarl, his fury only deepening at the grin on Harry's face.

Harry was never one to be intimidated by acts of aggression. If anything it just pleased him to know that he had been able to entice such a response.

"Oh, temper, temper," Harry drawled.

"I don't know what you're up to, but I'm not letting you hurt, Evie," Jay growled.

"Hurt her? Wouldn't dream of it. And if ye don't believe me then believe her, if ye really are her friend that is," Harry countered. "Cause I know I certainly am."

Jay let out a mirthless laugh. "Let's say I believe you - which, by the way, I don't - if you really are her friend, then sever all ties. We can all pretend that you and her never happened. Spare Evie the trouble of Mal finding out about all this. Do you realize what will happen if Mal does find out that Evie's hanging about with you?" Jay asked, glaring at the pirate with utter disdain. "If you care, let her go."

"The only risk of Mal finding out is ye, Jay," Harry replied tartly.

Jay tightened his grip on Harry's collar.

"We both know that when it comes down to it, yer closer to Mal than ye are Evie. And not tellin Mal about this? Well, doesn't take a genius to know how that'll turn out," Harry said tauntingly. "Don't come up to me acting like yer protecting Evie."

"In case you forgot, Evie is my friend! She's a VK, not a pirate!" Jay retorted. "Now back off and leave her be."

"Hmm, let me think about that," Harry pretended to ponder over it. "How about... naw?"

"When Mal finds out-"

"When Mal finds out," Harry repeated in a pitched tone. "How is Mal gonna find out? Ye gonna tell her?"

"If you don't agree to leave Evie then I will," Jay gritted out.

"So, tell her then," Harry challenged him. "I dare ye."

Jay shoved Harry against the pole, hard. He let go of his jacket, giving him one final glare before leaving. Harry grinned as he watched Jay storm off.

When Jay was gone, Harry climbed the rope ladder that took him onto The Lost Revenge. As he walked across the deck, he heard the whistling again. This time he saw who was doing it, one of the newer recruits. The boy was leaning against the edge of the ship, polishing the banister with an old cloth.

"Ye know what they say about whistling on a ship, mate?" Harry asked casually, taking several slow, menacing steps towards the boy.

The young pirate glanced up, startled. Before he could answer Harry had grabbed him and hauled him overboard, ceasing the boy's whistling before he could whistle up a storm.

"It's bad luck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And to think everything was going so well...
> 
> Apparently whistling is bad luck on a ship. Captain Hook and Smee are the 1953 movie versions. I feel they best fit in with the Descendants wicked world.
> 
> This chapter was edited by the lovely Ashara Lynn. Many thanks! :)
> 
> In this chapter, we got to see hints of Mal being a more caring friend, by making the tag that represented Evie and trying to give Evie a listening ear. Interesting to note that the alleyway she marked with Evie's new signature is called Diablo Alley, Diablo being Maleficent's pet raven. So Mal's not only given Evie a territory mark to represent her but also used it to mark out a street that plays homage to the Sleeping Beauty story.
> 
> So far we haven't really seen Mal from a nicer perspective, we've mainly been viewing her from the perspective of characters who don't have the highest opinion of her. Uma and Harry don't like her as they are enemies, and because of the situation she's in, we've only really seen Evie's more doubtful and cautious feelings towards Mal. I wanted to try and at least hint that Mal is a good friend, it's just that at this point her and Evie aren't very close.
> 
> For anyone wanting clues at to what's going to happen next, the next two chapter titles are:
> 
> Chapter 12 - Dinner With The Hooks  
> Chapter 13 - It's Going Down!
> 
> References: Ceto is the sea monster in Hercules. The fish lure that Harry finds is meant to look like Flounder from the little Mermaid. The crab Evie kicks is Tamatoa from Moana. There's also a reference to the song Chilling Like A Villain in there.


	12. Dinner With The Hooks

"Would ye look at that weather, my boy? What did I tell ye the other day? That there was a storm brewing!" Captain Hook said, shaking his head.

Harry didn't need to look out of the window to know that the weather was bad. The Jolly Roger's swaying along with the sound of thunder and the clamorous waves smashing against the hall was enough to alert him of that. Still, he wandered over to stand beside his father by the windows.

It was as dreary and dark as he had imagined. Monstrous grey thunder clouds loomed over the Isle, casting it in shadows. The sea was in turmoil, the choppy waves crashing harshly against the harbour and the docked ships. Not a soul dared to brave the waves, everyone locked up safe in their homes.

"Looks like someone's whistled up a storm!" Captain Hook mumbled, tutting under his breath.

Harry scowled, thinking of the young pirate he had chucked overboard a few days ago. He really hoped that the sharks had gotten the little whelp.

"Cap'n! Master Harry! That's Miss Evie arrived," Mr Smee announced as he flitted into the room. He busied himself with the final touches to the dinner table's presentation. "She's just gone to freshen up. That rain started pelting down mighty hard just as she arrived. Poor dear nearly got drenched, so she did! According to the weather reports, this storm is only the first one! Another one is headed here for Thursday!"

A few moments later, Evie entered the room. She was wearing a stylish blue dress with a white shawl, her hair curled and tumbling over her shoulders. On top of her head was a silver tiara, glistening in the candlelight. Harry smiled fondly at the sight of her.

 _Stunning as always_  , Harry mused.

* * *

Evie couldn't hide the smile that blossomed onto her face when she saw Harry. She hadn't seen him in several days and wouldn't dare admit to herself that she had missed him. Not that she would tell him that. If she did, he would never shut up about it.

When Captain Hook walked over to her and gave her a low bow, she ducked her head, slightly embarrassed by his over the top manners.

"Ah, my dear! Ye look lovely as ever," Captain Hook said charmingly.

"It's a pleasure to be here," Evie said, smiling politely.

Hook led her over to the table, Mr Smee dashing past them to pull out a chair for her. Harry joined them at the table, slipping into the seat beside Evie.

"Glad ye could make it, Princess," he whispered over to her. Subtly, so that his father wouldn't notice, he checked his pocket watch, his eyes widening in surprise. "And yer on time too. Do wonders ever cease?"

Evie leaned over and looked at the time.

"Harry... I'm ten minutes early, actually," Evie whispered.

She gave him a quick nudge when his father looked over, giving Harry time to hide the pocket watch. Ever since a certain ticking crocodile incident, Captain Hook had lost any tolerance for clocks.

"And for your information, a princess is never late. Everyone else is simply early."

Harry gave her an unconvinced frown.

"And dinner is served!" Mr Smee called out as another pirate rolled in a tray filled with food. Mr Smee scuttled around, placing the dishes before each of them. "Well, I hope ye all enjoy the grub! Oh, and Miss Evie, ye gotta try the grey stuff. It's delicious!"

"Thank you, Mr Smee," Captain Hook said, "the food looks delectable! It may not be at Auradon's standards but it's certainly better than anything those filthy Lost Boys can dream up."

Mr Smee and the other pirate disappeared after that and the trio began eating their meals. Captain Hook kept up a polite small chat as they eat, asking Evie about her interests and how she met his son.

Eventually, Evie managed to sway the conversation's topic to the Captain himself, unable to resist the chance to learn more about the ill-famed pirate. Captain Hook was more than happy to regale tales of his time terrorizing the seas. He spoke of the good old days, back when he lived the perfect pirate's life of plotting, pillaging, and plundering.

The conversation slowly lulled onto his time in Neverland. Whenever Peter Pan's name was brought up Captains Hook's charismatic and charming facade would flicker, glimpses of his fierce temper glinting through. Evie could clearly see the passionate hatred burning in his dark eyes. It was a look she saw in all the adults' eyes, be it her mother, Maleficent, Jafar, or Cruella De Vil whenever the heroes of their stories were mentioned. It didn't matter that nearly two decades had passed since they had all been imprisoned here. The fury that they all felt was still there, simmering and festering away.

"When I get off this Isle, Peter Pan better be ready for his reckoning!" Captain Hook slammed his hook into the table, shaking its contents. "And finally, I'll be able to return to me ship!"

"Isn't this your ship?" Evie asked, taking a sip of her drink.

Before the Captain could answer the door to the dining room flew open with a room shaking bang! A young girl strutted in with her hands on her hips.

"Daddy! I'm home! I didn't mean to be so-" the girl paused when she noticed Evie. "Oh, Mr Smee didn't tell me we had a guest."

"CJ, this is yer brother's girlfriend, Miss Evie," Captain Hook said, gesturing to Evie. "Miss Evie, this is my daughter, Harry's younger sister CJ."

CJ gasped, her hands flying up to cover her mouth. "Shut up! Evie as in the daughter of the Evil Queen?"

Evie nodded, wincing slightly with how loud the girl spoke.

Evie had never met CJ but from her first impression, she could tell that CJ was a very eccentric and confident girl. Her gestures and movement all had an over the top flare to them, her voice loud and demanding to be heard. She was dressed in a long red coat that was quite like her father's and older brother's coats, black shorts, knee-high black boots, and a frilly white blouse. Her long, dirty blonde hair was tied back into a high ponytail, swishing around her dramatically with every step she took.

"Ah, so yer the girl Harry has been moping over for weeks!" CJ said with a wicked grin.

Evie gave Harry a slow side-glance, barely able to hide the amused smirk on her face. Harry glared at his younger sister, a dark glint in his eyes promising vengeance later. He turned to Evie, shaking his head.

"Ignore her, she's talkin nonsense... as always," Harry said forcefully. He turned his attention back to his sister and gritted his teeth as he spoke. "And I don't  _mope!_ "

"Oh, would ye prefer I tell her that ye were  _pining_  away for her instead?" CJ asked, smiling pleasantly.

"Now, now, CJ!" Captain Hook said scoldingly. "Poor form teasing yer brother when he has a guest."

Harry's stabbed at his meal, his eyes filled with contempt as he watched his sister take her place at the table across from their father.

Mr Smee hurried into the room a few minutes later, another plate of food in his hands. He quickly set it down before CJ and poured her a glass of shandy. He happily hummed away to himself as he took a seat by the windows, a glass and bottle of rum waiting for him.

"Anyone else need a top up?" Mr Smee asked before getting comfortable.

"No, Mr Smee, I think we're all fine here," Captain Hook replied. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. I was just about to tell Miss Evie here the story of the Jolly Roger."

"Oh," CJ drawled. "Have ye told her about how this is a fake one and the real one is in-"

Captain Hook cleared his throat, glaring at his daughter.

"I was just about to." He looked back over to Evie. "This ship we're on is not the real Jolly Roger. No, no, no. It's an imposter. A look alike. Nothing more than a mere shadow. But, she'll have to do. A Captain cannot be a captain without his ship. The real Jolly Roger waits faithfully for her Captain to return... in Neverland."

Captain Hook looked out the window longingly, a desolate sigh escaping him.

"Those snivelling Auradon cod fish wouldn't even give me the dignity of bringing the old girl with me when they locked me away in this wretched place!"

"Don't worry, daddy," CJ said, a malicious grin on her face. Evie recognised it as one of Harry's grins, one that he would dawn when he was scheming and couldn't wait to unleash some devilry upon someone. "What goes around comes around. Ye'll get yer ship and yer treasure back one day!"

_Treasure?_

"What treasure?" Evie whispered to Harry.

Harry leaned over, his lips brushing against her ear. "Me da has a treasure hidden on Neverland. It's not a chest filled with gold coins and shiny trinkets though."

Harry didn't elaborate and pulled away.

As he ate his meal Evie realised he was actually using the silver wear and following all the proper table etiquette. She supposed that had a lot to do with his father's presence in the room.

"And upon that day of blessed freedom my dear daughter, I hope you, Harry and Harriet will join me with ships and crews of yer own," Captain Hook said, lifting his glass in a silent toast.

Evie caught the worrying look that CJ gave to her brother. Beside her, she felt Harry flinch. There was a clatter of metal against glass as Harry threw down his knife and fork onto his plate. He looked up at his father with a resentful glare.

_He hopes that one day we'll follow in his footsteps and be the most fearsome Captains that sailed the seven seas..._

Now remembering what Harry had said about his father's aspirations for his children to become Captains like him, she realised Captain Hook's words just now had been a shallow dig at his son. A not so subtle reminder that he wasn't happy with his son's current position as a first mate.

"Well, onto other news," CJ drawled, trying to defuse the growing tension before her brother could lash out at their father. "I have a question for ye, Evie."

Evie looked over to the CJ expectantly, thankful for the girl's swiftness in changing the topic. She guessed that CJ must act as a buffer between her father and Harry, preventing the two notorious tempers from clashing. Beside her, she heard Harry take in a restraining breath as he tried to calm his anger. He lifted his glass, taking a generous sip.

"When ye and Harry get married can I be one of yer bridesmaids?" CJ asked nonchalantly.

Evie choked and Harry spluttered his drink out. Captain Hook raised an eyebrow at the pair, entertained by their shocked and embarrassed expressions. Mr Smee perked up at that, looking positively thrilled at the idea.

"Oh, ye could hold it here on the ship! We haven't had a good wedding in decades!" Mr Smee said excitedly. "Cap'n Hook can even officiate it for ye's!"

Harry tried to clear his throat, struggling to regain his composure. Evie found herself stunned into silence, unable to form any words.

 _Bridesmaids... weddings..._  Evie thought in aghast.

"Splendid idea, Mr Smee," Captain Hook chimed in. "I'd be more than happy to officiate yer wedding, my dear."

CJ glanced at her nails, looking thoughtful.

"Hmmm, on second thought are ye gonna make me wear a blue dress? Harry may have a thing for blue, I, however, don't," CJ said casually, seemingly unaware of the flustered state she had put the couple in. "If not a bridesmaid I could be a flower girl. They don't have to wear the same colours as the bridesmaids, do they, daddy?"

Captain Hook began reproaching CJ, insisting that it was the bride's day and it was her decision what the bridesmaids wore.

Evie stared at the Captain and his daughter, a look of muted horror on her face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. They had to be joking. They had to be! But they were talking about it so seriously it was as if they were ready to start measuring her up for a wedding dress!

Unnoticed by Evie, Mr Smee had pulled out a measuring tape and was waltzing over to her, humming away  _Here Comes The Bride_  to himself. He lifted her arm, measuring the length from her shoulder to her wrist. His actions shook Evie out of her stupor and she looked at him questioningly.

"What are you doing?" Evie asked in confusion.

"Why, takin measurements for yer dress of course! Can never be too prepared!" Mr Smee said cheerfully, moving to measure her back. "Would ye prefer traditional white or something more eccentric like blue or red?"

_He's trying to measure me for a wedding dress! He's actually trying to- Oh my evil! No!_

Wood scraped against wood as Evie shoved her chair back and shot up to her feet, the chair clattering loudly to the floor. She backed away slowly, keeping her hands held out to ward off Mr Smee from coming any closer.

"Wow! I think you're getting a  _little_  bit ahead of yourself there," Evie said. She tried her best to sound polite but it didn't hide the strained panic in her voice. "Harry and I have only started dating! Weddings... and... bridesmaids... and... and talks of all that...  _that_  stuff... ha... way too soon!"

She turned to Harry, giving him a pleading look.

Seeing the panicked look in Evie's face finally brought Harry out of his own mortified shock. He cleared his throat and quickly rose to his feet. "Ye know what? I'm stuffed. What about ye, Evie?"

Evie pounced on the hint.

"Completely! I don't think I could handle another bite," Evie lied. "And um... look at the weather! It's gotten worse! I best be getting home before I get stranded."

"Why of course," Captain Hook said, standing up. "Thank ye for joining us. We'll have to have ye over again soon. Maybe next time we can have the whole family here."

 _Oh, shattered mirrors_  , Evie thought with a grimace. She was sure that would go well.

"Of course! Next time!" Evie said, putting on her brightest and fakest smile.

She wanted to get out of here, now! All the talks of weddings and Mr Smee literally trying to take her measurements had thrown her off balance and put her in a tizzy. She didn't think she could endure any more of talks like that.

"Well, thank you for the meal, it was delicious!" Evie said, backing towards the door.

"I'll walk ye out, Evie!" Harry said, taking her hand.

"Bye, Evie! We'll have to hang out sometime!" CJ shouted as she watched her brother and Evie practically fly out the room.

As soon as they were a safe distance away from the dining room Harry let out a sigh, running his free hand through his hair. Evie swore there was a slight blush on his cheeks. Well, it seemed that she wasn't the only one rather embarrassed by the evening's events.

"That went as well as I thought it would," Harry muttered.

"Your family's very... eager," Evie said carefully.

Harry winced.

"Ye'll have to excuse, CJ," he muttered darkly. "She sounded innocent enough but she knew exactly what she was doin in there. Ye should count yer blessings that Harriet and Mama Hook weren't there. If they had been we would have been walking down the aisle before the dinner was done."

Harry walked her through the ship until they got to the door that would lead to the main deck. Evie grabbed her jacket which she had left on a barrel by the door, slipping it on and buttoning it up. She protested when Harry insisted on walking her across the main deck to make sure she got off the ship safely.

"You're going to get soaked!" Evie said, pulling her hood up. She gestured to his hoodless and sleeveless jacket. "You don't even have a proper jacket on!"

"Wheest," Harry said with a roll of his eyes.

He took Evie's hand again and lead her out deck. The wind had grown fiercer and the rain was lashing down. Within seconds Harry was soaked right through, his hair plastered to his face and water dripping down his arms like little rivers. When they got to the ramp that lead off the ship Harry stopped, gently spinning Evie around to look at him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

"Are ye gonna be alright in this weather?" Harry asked, leaning in close so she could hear him over the wind and rain.

"I'll be fine."

"Before ye go, Uma asked if ye'd like to come to her mum's shops grand opening on Saturday?"

Evie frowned, "that's probably not the best idea, Harry."

"Think about it?" He asked, leaning his wet forehead against hers.

"Fine," Evie mumbled. "I need to go now."

Evie lightly grabbed his collar and pulled him down, giving him a kiss. She had intended for it to be a quick peck, but Harry seemed to have other ideas. He deepened the kiss, even giving her lip a little nip. Evie raised a hand to his face, pushing aside his dripping bangs that were covering his eyes. She pulled away, smiling.

"I'll see you later, Harry. Now go back inside and make sure your family hasn't picked out the bouquet for our wedding."

* * *

CJ, ye runt!" Harry shouted as he charged back into the dining room. "What the heck was all that about?"

CJ smirked, giving her brother an innocent bat of her eyelashes. "Did I do something wrong, Harry?"

"Don't play cute with me, CJ. Ye should know that only works on Harriet," Harry growled, stomping towards his sister. "Talking about weddings and bridesmaids! Were ye trying to have her running out the door and never coming back?"

"It was just a wee bit of fun," CJ said with a smile. "And don't lie, ye've totally thought about it."

Harry growled and bolted forward. He wrapped an arm around his sister so she couldn't escape as he messed up her hair with his free hand. CJ shrieked, trying to push her brother away.

"Oi! Master Harry! Miss CJ! No squabblin at the dinner table!" Mr Smee scolded as he cleared the plates. "Ye made a right auld mess the last time! The poor Cap'n doesn't need his dining room messed up again! Any mere of it and ye'll be eatin in the galley with the rest of the crew!"

Harry let go of his sister, pushing her away. CJ frowned as she tried to fix her frizzed hair.

"Oh, by the way, yer girlfriend forgot her purse," CJ said, pulling out a small apple purse from behind her back. "Ye could always drop by her castle after dinner to give her it back. If ye don't mind braving the storm that is."

CJ handed Harry the purse.

"Ye didn't nick this, did ye?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Me? Steal from my brother's girlfriend so he had an excuse to see her again tonight? Hmm, nope, I wouldn't dream of it," CJ said with a smirk.

Harry grinned, ruffling his sister's hair affectionately.

They may bicker and fight all the time, but the siblings always had each other's backs.

* * *

It was quite late when Evie arrived home. Her mother would most likely be asleep so she was extra careful to make as little noise as possible when she crept into the castle. Disturbing her mother's beauty sleep never ended well.

She made her way through the castle, a trail of puddles dripping behind her onto to the dusty cobblestone floors. When she turned the corner she slowed her steps. In order to get to the staircase that led to her tower, she had to pass the grand living room. However, there was an orange glow coming from the archway that led into the room, accompanied by the distinct sound of crackling flames.

 _Maybe mother just left the fireplace burning?_  Evie thought gingerly.

Evie tiptoed over to the archway and peered in. Lightning flashed, illuminating the dark room in a white flare. Evie jumped, noticing her mother sitting gracefully by the fireplace, her two pet vultures perched atop her high-backed seat.

"And just where exactly have you been, my dear?"

Evie slowly entered the room. She stayed as close to the archway as she could, not wanting to get too close as that would allow her mother a more thorough scrutinizing of her appearance.

She knew she looked like drowned rat, the brutal storm having done a number on her. Her hair was a mess, falling in frizzy ringlets around her shoulders. Her makeup had been washed off by the rain, only her mascara remaining in dark smudges around her eyes. Despite her heavy jacket, the rain had seeped through and left her clothes with damp patches and wrinkles.

"Well?" Her mother asked, tilting her head.

The vultures had a smug look about them, the flames from the fire reflecting sinisterly in their amber eyes. At the sight of her mother's pets, Evie remembered with a pang Mal's warning about their parents sending their goons to trail them. She wished she had paid more heed to it. From the looks on those two cretins faces, they had probably tailed her tonight and snitched. It would explain her mother's questioning and why the vulture's feathers were darkened with wetness.

If that was the case then lying would only make this situation worse, but that didn't mean she had to tell the whole truth. She wasn't sure how much her mother knew so she had to be cautious not to accidentally give away more information than she needed to. The best thing she could do right now was play it cool and see what her mother knew.

"I was out having dinner," Evie replied as indifferently as she could.

"Where?"

"Goblin Wharf," Evie replied easily. "Is there a problem, mother?"

One of the vultures leaned down, allowing The Evil Queen to stroke its black feathers. The bird gave Evie a satisfied look that a cat would give to a cornered mouse, knowing it had her caught with no escape.

"That depends entirely on your answer, my little evil in training. A little birdie told me something rather distressing and I hope you can clear up the situation," The Evil Queen said, sounding perfectly amicable.

 _You little snitch,_  Evie thought sourly, narrowing her eyes at the crooning vulture. _So they did follow_   _me tonight._

The question was how much had the birds seen...

"Who is Harry Hook?" The Evil Queen asked with a dangerous sweetness to her voice.

Apparently, a lot.

Evie gulped.

* * *

As Harry climbed the vines that lead to Evie's room he couldn't help but regret his decision.

He had thought that stopping by Evie's castle to give her back her purse would have been be a good idea. After enduring the storm and getting soaked to the bone, he wasn't quite so sure. He should have listened to Mr Smee and just waited until he next saw her or until the storm had eased up, but no, like a lovestruck fool he had leapt at the chance to see her again.

The heavy rain and roaring winds were making the climb to Evie's room more tedious and treacherous than the last time. He cursed as he nearly lost his grip, his hands slipping on the wet vines.

 _Ye live in a massive castle, Princess. Why did ye have to pick the highest room in the whole bloody thing!_  Harry thought irritably.

When he finally got to the top he was disheartened to see that Evie was not in her room. Thankfully, she had left the window unlatched, allowing him to slip in. Absentmindedly, he wondered if she had left it unlocked on the chance that he might visit.

Without Evie here, Harry wasn't quite sure what to do. He could wait but he wasn't sure how long she would be. He certainly wasn't going to just put down the purse and leave. He had fought his way here through rain, hail, wind, thunder and lightning. He wasn't leaving without seeing her. Surely, she should have been getting ready to turn in for the night, given the lateness of the hour?

He decided a little snooping was in order. He had never seen the rest of the castle anyway and didn't know when he would next get the opportunity. He would just have to make sure that he didn't run into Evie's mother.

Harry made his way out of Evie's room and down a small flight of stairs that led to a long corridor.

The castle didn't live up to his expectations of what a castle where a Queen and Princess lived should look like. This one more closely resembled a haunted castle that had been left to rot and decay. The stone floors and walls made the place feel old and devoid of any warmth. The paintings on the wall were faded and water damaged. The furniture lining the hallways from tables, bookcases and knights in armour were draped in cobwebs and thick layers of dust, small spiders scurrying around them.

The Evil Queen had really let the place go.

Harry came to another staircase. At the bottom, there was a room lit up by a grand fireplace. Harry quickly hid behind the corner, noticing that there were people in the room. He was just able to make out the figure of Evie with her back turned to him, The Evil Queen sitting on a high-backed chair like a throne, and two grim looking vultures perched above her.

"That depends entirely on your answer, my little evil in training. A little birdie told me something rather distressing and I hope you can clear up the situation... Who is Harry Hook?"

Harry tensed. So the wicked witch had found out about them...

"Harry Hook?" Evie asked questioningly.

"Is he a Prince?" The Evil Queen's snobbish voice asked.

Harry almost snorted at the thought.  _As if._

"No."

The hesitation in Evie's voice gave him pause. She sounded nervous. Timid even. It was then he noticed just how tense she was. Evie was standing rigidly, her back straight and her whole posture was as tense as a wound up cord on the verge of breaking. Her hands were behind her back, her fingers gripping onto her jacket tightly.

 _She's scared_ , Harry realised.

"Nobility?" The Evil Queen asked, sounding very irritable.

"No."

Again, there was hesitation in her voice. With each reply, The Evil Queen's questions took on a more baffled pitch.

"Does he live in a castle?"

"No... he doesn't," Evie said, barely above a whisper.

"Doesn't live in a-" The Evil Queen sounded like she was choking. "Is he at least rich?"

"Um... I'm not really-"

"That means no! Oh, my- Absolutely not! My daughter will only date nobility and nothing less! Evie, have I taught you nothing?" The Evil Queen shrieked.

As the Evil Queen rose to her feet, lightning flashed and the fire flared up.

Evie flinched, taking a step away from her mother. Even the vultures ducked down, shrinking into themselves at the sight of the imposing queen.

"What are you thinking, you stupid girl? You shouldn't even be spending your time with a riffraff pirate! They are beneath you, my dear! You are royalty, the daughter of a Queen, which makes you a Princess! It's about time you started acting like one!"

Harry bit his tongue, holding back a growl.

_Say something, Evie. Fight back! Ye never back down from a fight with me, why are ye doing it with her?_

Harry couldn't understand why she wasn't standing up to her mother.

This was the girl who had snuck into enemy territory, alone and unarmed, to require her stolen tiara. He had seen her stand tall and brave on the edge of a plank that led to shark infested waters, while two dozen armed pirates shouted for her demise. He had seen her pick up a sword and challenge him, the Son of Captain Hook who had learned to sword fight since he was a bairn, all for the sake of a shell to complete her new outfit. She had never backed down from any of his challenges and despite his notorious reputation and infamous temper she had never hesitated to fight against him.

Where had all her bravery and spunk gone?

"I'm not... dating him, mother," Evie's voice was quiet and distant, "he's just... an acquaintance."

Harry flinched, his hand tightening into a fist at his side.

"I... I would never date a pirate," her voice took on a renewed strength. She spoke loudly, her voice filled with scorn. "As you said, I'm a Princess. I have standards. A Prince and nothing less. A Prince with a big castle and lots and lots of mirrors and-"

"A mother in law wing!" The Evil Queen sang happily, her anger seemingly appeased.

The apple purse in Harry's hand fell to the floor.

Besides a terrible growing ache in his chest, Harry felt completely numb. Scarcely aware of what he was doing, Harry turned away, making his way back up to Evie's room and out the tower. Once he was at the bottom he stared up at the room at the top of the tower, rain pouring down his face. Lightning flashed, covering the tower in a white light, its long dark shadow casting over him.

 _So I'm not good enough for you, Princess?_  Harry thought bitterly.  _Just a_   _riffraff pirate who's beneath ye, eh?_

Harry let out a snarl, punching the wall of the tower. He let out a harsh breath, laughing mirthlessly.

_If that's the way it is... then fine!_

With a furious growl, Harry stormed away into the darkness.

* * *

It had been several days since Harry had seen Evie. He had been avoiding her, too furious to confront her about the conversation he had heard between her and her mother. As much as he was loathed to admit it, hearing Evie disregard him so easily had hurt him. He despised how easily she was able to bring him to his knees.

To distract himself he had been assisting Uma in the final the preparations for her mother's shops grand opening in two days' time. Today they had gotten through most of the work. They would have be able to finish sooner had it not been for the blasted storm battering the Isle.

Harry walked into his room in The Lost Revenge, thankful to finally get some solitude. When he closed the door and a voice he had become closely familiar with called out, he realized with a sigh that isolation would be eluding him for a while longer. He should have known she would have confronted him sooner rather than later.

"Hey, Harry."

Harry turned around to find Evie sitting on the edge of his hammock. She had a smile on her face but he could tell from the fire in her eyes that she wasn't happy.

"Ah, Princess, I see yer still making a habit of breaking into ma ship," Harry said dryly, refusing to look at her as he removed his hat and jacket. "Whatever ye want ye can forget it. Now leave before I'm forced to escort ye off the ship the wet and shark infested way."

"Because that worked out so well for you the last time, didn't it?" Evie replied, her voice as dry and bland as his.

"I'm not in the mood for games, Princess. Now leave," Harry said, trying his hardest to restrain his temper.

"Tell me why you're avoiding me and then I might!"

Ah, so she had noticed. He had wondered if she would. He had seen her a few times in town but had pointedly ignored her. He supposed him having missed practice today would have been the final confirmation she needed to realize he was avoiding her.

Harry gritted his teeth, forcing a strained smile on his face. He walked past her, tossing his jacket and hat into his wardrobe. He busied himself by his dresser, refusing to look at the piercing blue eyes watching his every move. He couldn't look at them, knowing how easily he could forget himself in them. If he looked then it would shatter his resolve and his pride refused to allow that spell to be cast.

"I've realised that it's best we part ways."

* * *

Those eight words were like a physical blow. Evie felt like the air had been knocked out of her. She shook her head, slipping down from the hammock.

"What?" Evie asked quietly, stunned by his words.

"Ye heard me, Evie."

"Harry-"

Evie reached out for him but the moment her hand touched his shoulder he spun around and knocked her hand away. She couldn't hide the flash of hurt that appeared on her face. She looked at him in bewilderment, hurt and confused as to why he was acting this way.

"Harry... why.?"

Slowly, as though reluctant to do so, Harry looked at her. There was no hiding the pain within those dark grey eyes.

 _He's hurting_ …

Evie felt her heart ache, so unused to seeing Harry like this. During their time together she had seen so many emotions on his face, but never pain. What had she done that could have hurt him this much?

"Leave, Evie!" Harry hissed. "If yer in here there's no way yer going to find that Prince ye so prize."

"Prince? What are you talking-" Her eyes lit up with realization. "My purse... that's how it ended up in the corridor."

She had been perplexed when she had discovered her apple purse at the top of the staircase in her mother's castle, having been sure she had forgotten it on The Jolly Roger. Now she knew why. Harry had come to give her it back... and he had heard her conversation.

Evie bit her lip, overwhelmed with shame. How much had he heard?

"You were in my house that night... weren't you?" Evie asked quietly, already knowing the answer. 

"Aye, that I was."

Evie nodded, her heart sinking.

"I didn't-"

Harry rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"Oh, don't say ye didn't mean it, Princess. Everyone on this blasted island knows ye'll only have a Prince and nuthin else! I was an idiot for thinking-" He trailed off, looking away bitterly, his hands clenching.

"Thinking what?" Evie's eyes darted up to meet his. "Harry?"

"Never mind," He muttered, brushing by her.

"Harry! Wait!" Evie stepped in front of him, blocking him from moving away from her. "I don't know how much you heard that night but every word you heard me say to my mother was a lie. Harry... if I didn't want to be with you I wouldn't have agreed to be your girlfriend. If I didn't want to be your friend I wouldn't hang out with you. Why would I jeopardise everything to be with you if I didn't like you?"

"Ye were quite happy to throw me to the wolves when ye were talkin to yer mother," Harry snapped bitterly. "It's still a betrayal, Evie."

"My mother scares me, alright! I just... I didn't want to let her down... she'd never understand."

Just like Jay. Just like Mal...

"No one... seems to get it," Evie muttered.

"Yer letting yer so called friends and family control ye! Ye need to stand up to them, Evie!"

"It's not easy, Harry!" Evie shouted in frustration. "Your family and friends accepted your choice to go out with me! Mine... don't. Your friends stood by you, mine will turn their backs on me. Your family were more than happy to welcome me into their family, my mother would lock me in a tower for the rest of my life! If I stand up to them... I lose them!"

And suffer all the consequences that followed...

Evie moved away from him, running her hands through her hair irritably. Why was everything so messed up and unfair? She was sick of the conflict and being torn apart from the inside. Why couldn't everything just work out like they did in the fairy tales? Why couldn't her friends and mother be understanding? Why couldn't everyone just get along and... and...

Evie let out a long sigh, knowing such thoughts were a fruitless folly. Life wasn't easy. Relationships of all kinds were complicated and rife with difficulties. Sometimes you had to make tough choices that hurt, challenged and sometimes broke you. But that was how it was.

Maybe princesses and pirates weren't meant to be.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Harry," Evie whispered. "I... I like you far too much for that."

Those words were true but she realised then with startling clarity that they didn't convey the depths of her feelings. If there was a word it escaped her and any thoughts of pursuing it vanished when Harry wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, closing her eyes and enjoying the comforting warmth of his embrace. She only realized she had been crying when she started sniffling, now feeling the trails of dampness running down her cheeks.

"Harry... I didn't mean it," Evie mumbled, her voice muffled against his chest.

"I believe ye," Harry murmured. "I know ye didn't mean it. When I heard ye talkin to yer mother I just..."

 _It hurt you_ , Evie thought, her heart aching with the knowledge that she had been the one to bring such pain into his eyes.

"You're not at fault," Evie mumbled quietly against his shoulder, "I'm the one who needs to learn to stand up to my mother."

If she didn't then her mother would forever control her. Her life would never be her own. But saying that she had to stand up to her mother was one thing, to actually do it was another. And one that would have grim consequences for her.

"Are we... okay?" Evie asked, wiping away the tears in her eyes.

She felt Harry's embrace tighten.

"We're fine," he whispered in her ear.

Evie moved back a little to look at Harry, his arms still wrapped around her. She wiped away the tears from her face with her sleeve, sniffling a little.

"I think I better get heading," Evie said.

At that moment, a hair-raising boom of thunder shook the ship. The pair glanced over to the window just in time to see fork lightening streak across the night sky. The rain lashed down heavier against the windows, shaking the glass.

 _Oh, this will be a fun trip home,_  Evie mused sourly.  _Stupid storms._

"Ye know, ye could always stay here for the night," Harry suggested. "The weather is quite bad."

Evie glanced up at him.

"I don't bite," Harry said a little too slyly for comfort.

"We both know that's a lie," Evie retorted dryly.

Harry gave her a mischievous grin. The stern look Evie gave him caused him to raise his hands in surrender.

"Ye can have the hammock and I'll sleep on the floor," Harry offered. "Come on, Evie. Ye'll get blown away to Oz if ye step out there."

Evie looked back outside and winced. The terrible weather combined with the lateness of the hour would make the long journey home too dangerous for comfort. Perhaps staying the night wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"Alright."

They began getting ready for bed. Harry rummaged through his wardrobe, pulling out spare blankets and pillows which he arranged into a makeshift bed on the floor beside the hammock. Evie sat at the dresser, removing her makeup before tying her hair into a long side braid.

"Here," Harry said, tossing a pair of pyjama's over to Evie. "Ye can wear these. Ma older sister Harriet left them here when she stayed over one night."

Evie unfolded them and cringed at the terrible design. They had to be the most unfashionable sleeping wear she had ever seen. They were black pyjamas with red and green cartoon parrots dotted all over them. She looked up at Harry, noticing the amused smile playing on his lips.

"If you laugh at me you die," Evie said threateningly, narrowing her eyes at the pirate.

Harry bit back a laugh and left the room, allowing Evie to change. Once she was ready and tucked into the hammock she shouted for him to come back in. Harry blew out the candles from the lanterns hanging around the room, casting the room into darkness. He then settled on the floor, putting his arms behind his head to act as an extra pillow.

"Are you sure you're alright sleeping on the floor?" Evie asked.

She peered over the edge of the hammock to look at the pirate, barely able to make out his silhouette in the darkness.

"I'm sure," Harry replied.

Evie sighed, falling back into the hammock and staring up at the ceiling. She felt bad leaving him on the floor. It couldn't be very comfortable or good for his back. She sighed again, this time more irritably.

"You're really sure?"

"Positive, Princess."

"But-"

"Evie," Harry pushed himself up with his elbows, giving her a tired look, not that she could see it. "If I wasn't okay with it ye'd be the one sleepin on the floor."

Harry lay back down, giving his pillow a few punches to fluff it out. They lay in their beds for another few moments, listening to the sound of the storm wailing outside. Evie tried to get to sleep, but knowing that Harry was lying on the floor with no mattress and only a few blankets was making her feel too guilty.

"You know what? No. I feel bad," Evie muttered, throwing aside the blankets. "We'll share the hammock. Come up here."

Harry opened his eyes, staring at her in disbelief.

"Seriously?"

"Mhmm," Evie hummed. "Now hurry up so I can go back under the covers. It's freezing!"

"Hmm, I don't know," Harry drawled, a slight tease in his voice. "How do I know ye won't try to have yer wicked way with me?"

Evie gasped, scandalized by the comment. She grabbed the pillow from the hammock and thwacked him over the head with it. Harry laughed, snatching the pillow from her as he rose to his feet. Evie scowled at him but moved over to let him into the hammock. As it turned out there wasn't as much room as she had originally thought and the two found themselves pressed up rather close. After some awkward shuffling, they got into a more comfortable position and Harry finally pulled the crimson blanket over them.

"Goodnight, Harry," Evie whispered as she closed her eyes.

"Night, Princess," Harry murmured into her hair.

"Oh, before I forget," Evie drawled nervously. "I should probably mention that you should be extra careful during our next fencing lesson."

Harry pulled away to look at her as he spoke. "And why is that?"

"Hauntie knows you stood me up today," Evie explained, wincing. "I tried to convince him that you weren't there because of the bad weather but I don't think he believed me. So... watch your back."

Harry groaned, burying his head into the side of Evie's neck.

"And Harry... I'm sorry."

It took everything Evie had to allow those words to leave her mouth. Villains never apologised. But there was no other word that she could use to let Harry know that she regretted what she had said to her mother. She may not have meant what she had said that night, but saying it had been a small betrayal, even if it had been a lie. What's more, she had hurt Harry and that was never something she had wanted to do.

Harry tightened his embrace around her. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Never say yer sorry, Princess," Harry murmured. "It's a weakness."

She knew that, but she felt that around him, she could afford to be a little weak. She trusted him. And she hoped that he felt the same way.

They lay together in the hammock, Evie's back pressed up against Harry's chest, one of his arms behind her head acting as a pillow and the other laid across her waist. She could feel his warm breath on her neck as he breathed, stirring her hair. It wasn't long until Evie was lulled to sleep with the gentle swaying of the boat and the quiet lullaby of the ships creaks and squeaks.

Harry brushed aside Evie's hair from her neck.

Evie may not have been able to think of the word to describe her feelings for Harry, but Harry knew exactly how he felt about her. He whispered something into her ear before placing a tender kiss on her neck.

If Evie had been awake, she would have heard what he had whispered.

_I love ye, Princess..._

Outside, the storm's wrath began to subdue. Tomorrow would no doubt be a beautiful day... but little did the couple know, that the real storm was just around the corner.

* * *

Mal twirled her pencil idly in her hand, staring blankly at her sketchbook.

 _What to draw... what to draw?_  She mused.

At the sound of footsteps clanking up the stairwell to her home, Mal glanced up. Jay came into the main living room, a piece of water damaged paper in his hand.

"Hey, Jay. I wasn't expecting you," Mal said. She gestured to the space on the couch beside her.

"Take a seat."

Jay shook his head, moving to stand at the other side of the table. He began pacing, his arms crossed and a thoughtful expression on his face. Mal frown, realizing that Jay was nervous. But why?

"Anything bothering you?" Mal asked carefully.

Jay ceased his pacing and turned to look at her. He was silent for a few moments before shaking his head.

_Okay, don't tell me then._

"I just came here to show you something." Jay said, handing over the piece of paper to Mal. "I bumped into one of Uma's now ex-crew members the other day. Dude said he quit her crew after he got tossed overboard for whistling or something. He gave me this, told me I might find it interesting."

Mal snatched the paper, looking at it curiously. With every word that she read an excited grin grew on her face.

"Jay… do you realize what this is?" Mal asked, her heart racing with the golden opportunity that had been presented to them. "This is-"

"Revenge served on a silver platter," Jay finished with a smirk. "A private invite to Uma's mother's grand opening of her shop with all the details of when it's happening. I guess they lost our invitations."

"This is perfect!" Mal said, jumping to her feet. "And for one of Uma's ex-crew member to give it to us, even better! If we're ever to get back at Uma and her crew for what they did at Carlo's party, this is it!"

Jay gave Mal a smug look. "Guess Uma should learn to treat her crew mates better."

"Speaking of crews, we need to get Evie and Carlos. If we want to crash this party, then we'll need to move fast!"

Mal clapped her hands and headed for the exit. Before she got far Jay's voice called out, stopping her in her tracks.

"Wait! I… I don't think it's a good idea to tell, Evie."

Mal looked at Jay in confusion.

"Why not?"

Jay winced, taking in a deep breath.

"The thing is…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh... looks like it's all going down at Ursula's Fish and Chips shop grand opening! And it's pretty much Harry's fault for tossing that poor pirate overboard.
> 
> Mal's warning about their parent's goons following them was in chapter 5 - Guests.
> 
> This chapter was edited by the lovely Ashara Lynn.
> 
> References: "Try the grey stuff. It's delicious," is a quote from Beauty and The Beast song 'Be Our Guest'. "It may not be at Auradon's standards but it's certainly better than anything those filthy Lost Boys can dream up," is a reference to the Peter Pan movie Hook, where the Lost Boys imagine their food. "A princess is never late. Everyone else is simply early," is a reference from Princess Diaries 2, though it's meant to be Queen, not a Princess. "Ye'll get blown away to Oz" is a reference to The Great and Powerful Oz/Wizard of Oz.


	13. It's Going Down!

Normally, Evie awoke in the morning to the sounds of the chirping birds nesting in the trees of the forest and her tower's rooftop. Most people begrudged the birds for their early tweets, branding them as ungodly and atrocious demons sent to disturb their slumber. Evie, on the other hand, had always found them to be sweet and pleasant. They may never help her make the bed like they did for Cinderella, but they always made sure that she was up at the strike of dawn, right on time to start the day. They were her own natural alarms clocks.

Today, however, was not a normal day. Rather than being woken up by the sugary sweetness of magpies and blue bird's melodies, Evie was dragged from her sleep by the shrill squawks and screeches from the dreadful seagulls swarming the skies outside like a plague of banshees.

Evie pried open her sleep filled eyes, startled to find Harry's face close to hers. At some point in the night they had shuffled around, so they were now facing one another. She couldn't understand how Harry was still asleep despite the shrieking winged horrors outside. How could  _anyone_  sleep through that?

The dull light coming in from the port windows told Evie that it was still early morning. Evie was very much a morning person, but Harry, it seemed, was not. She decided that it would be too mean to wake him up just yet, especially considering how peaceful he looked. Instead, she lay there in the warmth of his arms, admiring all the little features on his face that she never really got the time to see. Tentatively, Evie reached out, her fingers brushing aside a lock of Harry's hair from his face.

 _One thing I'll never forgive you for, Harry... is that floppy mane you call your hair,_  Evie mused. She really wanted to take a pair of scissors to it sometimes.

The hammock suddenly jerked lower. Evie's eyes widened, surprised by the movement. It was then that she heard something like string or cord snapping. Hesitant to confirm what she already had a sinking suspicion was about to happen, Evie slowly glanced up to where the hammock was tied to hooks on the ceiling. The rope securing one end of the hammock was snapping, thread... by... thread.

_Oh dear..._

"Harry!" Evie shook him harshly. "Wake up! We need to-"

There was a loud twang as the cord on the top end of the hammock finally snapped. Evie cried out as one part of the hammock fell, her and Harry crashing to the floor.

"Owe," Evie winced, staring numbly at the ceiling.

Harry groaned, rolling onto his back. "What... happened?"

Evie pulled herself into a sitting position, brushing back her tussled hair with the tips of her fingers. "One side of the hammock snapped. I should have known that it was a bad idea having both of us sleeping in it."

Thankfully, Harry liked to sleep with a ridiculous amount of pillows and blankets, so their fall was cushioned.

"I'll fix it later," Harry sighed, his voice husky from tiredness. He closed his eyes, his head falling to the side as he began to doze off again.

"Are you seriously going back to sleep after that?" Evie asked in disbelief. After that surprise fall her heart was racing like a stallion. If the seagulls hadn't woken her up, then that fall certainly had!

Harry mumbled something nonsensical under his breath, completely exhausted.

Evie shook her head, turning to look out the windows. It had to be about seven o'clock. The sky was a radiant glow of pink, wispy white clouds stretched out across it. It seemed the storm had finally passed.

With a sigh, Evie put her arms in the air, giving herself a good stretch. She knew that should probably get dressed and slip off the ship before everyone else awoke. She wasn't quite sure she wanted any of Uma's crew to know that she had spent the night on their ship. That could lead to some awkward misunderstandings and teasing.

"Harry, I'm going to get ready," Evie said. "So, keep your eyes clo-hey!"

Harry had reached over and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her down on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"It's still early, Princess. Go back to sleep," Harry mumbled.

It was tempting, so very tempting just to snuggle into Harry's chest and lull off to sleep again, but Evie knew that she had to go. She tried to pull away but Harry's grip remained firm. She glowered at him, blowing her hair out of her face.

"Harry! I need to go!" Evie hissed.

Harry frowned and merely pulled her in closer, giving her next to no room to manoeuvre. Evie sighed, irked by his stubbornness. She rested her hand against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart under her touch. She couldn't help but think that it was beating a little faster than it should be. She glanced up at his sleeping face, a wicked idea springing to mind.

Evie leaned forward, placing a stream of kisses on Harry's neck, each one slow and deliberate. Harry's eyes flew open and he moved away, caught off-guard by her actions.

 _Oh, look who's awake now_ , Evie chuckled.

"What are ye doin?" Harry asked, blinking and sounding more alert.

"Kissing you," Evie said innocently. "But if you'd rather go back to sleep..."

"Now hold on there, a pirate can change his mind," Harry said, a mischievous grin spreading on his face.

Evie laughed. She leaned up to him, capturing his lips with her own. Harry brought a hand up to her face, gently moving it back to run his fingers down her bedraggled waves of hair. Evie found herself in bliss with each kiss. She wasn't sure which ones she enjoyed most. Her own sweet and tender kisses or Harry's wild and passionate ones that sent her heart ablaze. She was so lost in the dizzying kisses that she almost forgot her original reason for her kiss ambush in the first place.

With as much self-control as she could muster, Evie pulled away slightly. Harry slowly opened his eyes, giving her a questioning look. Before he could say anything, Evie tried to push herself away from him, Harry having released his tight hold on her during their kisses. Unfortunately for Evie, as cunning as her little plan was, Harry was not as much a fool as people gave him credit for. As quick as a blink, Harry had looped his arms around her waist, rolling them over so she was trapped underneath him.

"Nice try, Princess," Harry said with a victorious smirk. "Yer quite the wee minx when ye want to be."

Evie cursed, frowning sternly up at her troublesome pirate.

"I need to get ready, Harry," Evie insisted. "And I don't have time for this. Now, let me up before-"

There was a loud knocking on the door.

"Hey! Love birds!" Uma's voice called out, accompanied by more banging. "Breakfast in the galley in ten if you're interested!"

_Before that happens..._

Evie stared at the door in horror, an embarrassed blush staining her cheeks. She let out a pitiful wail, burying her head into Harry's chest.

 _Great, just, great!_  Evie grumbled.

She had not wanted Uma or anyone else to know that she was here!

Harry didn't look the least bit concerned. He pulled away, allowing him to see her face. He looked down at her tenderly, a small smirk on his lips. Even without the aid of his usual dark mascara and eye liner, Harry's eyes were intense. Evie was finding it more and more difficult not to lose herself in them. They were spellbinding.

"Come on Princess, might as well grab a bite to eat since they know yer here."

Evie scowled at him bitterly. Harry just grinned back, leaning down and placing a quick kiss on her cheek.

* * *

Harry led Evie by the hand to the ship's galley.

The galley was a large room filled with four long tables, each accompanied by two long benches at either side. Over at the far side was a kitchen area where two pirates were working away at the steamy stoves and grill, cooking up a variety of different foods. In front of their small open kitchen was a buffet, several pirates flocked around it, filling their plates. Most of Uma's crew were already seated and stuffing their faces, laughing and joking with their fellow shipmates.

"Hey, Evie!" Gil said as he walked over to the couple, a wide smile on his face. In his hand, he had a bowl of food that he was eating with his fingers. "Oh, wow, Harry you're actually up before noon!"

"Don't remind me," Harry mumbled. He let out a tired yawn and stretched his arms.

"Oh, by the way, Evie, I was wondering, if you're free anytime would you like to go out with me- Owe! Owe!  _Owe! I_  didn't mean it, Harry!" Harry had grabbed Gil by the back of his collar and had started to haul the flustered boy towards the galley exit, shoving aside anyone foolish enough to get in his way. "I was joking! I was  _joking_! The crew put me up to it, I swear!"

As they passed the seated crew members, many turned around and sniggered at the pair.

"What are those two like?"

Evie turned around at the sound of Uma's voice, finding the sea witch's daughter standing beside her. Evie smiled politely, feeling a little awkward.

"Follow me and we can get some grub before everyone else scoffs it down," Uma said, gesturing for Evie to follow her.

Evie walked with Uma over to the buffet. Uma handed her a plate, gesturing for her to help herself. The two girls filled their plates with the greasy and less than appetizing looking food.

"So, I see you and Harry worked things out," Uma said casually. When she saw Evie's questioning look she shrugged. "Harry told me about your fall out. But I'm glad to see that you two have gotten through it. He also told me that you two are official now, huh?"

Evie nodded.

She was a little unnerved about Uma being in the loop in regards to her relationship with Harry. She knew Uma was Harry's best friend so it was only natural that she would know, but it didn't mean Evie had to like it. She still wasn't sure if she trusted Uma or if the girl was up to no good. To her credit, Uma had been perfectly amicable since they had come to their truce, but here on the isle, it never hurt to watch your back. Truces or not, villains had a nasty tendency for back-stabbing.

"That's good to hear," Uma said. "The dinglehoppers and knives are over by the drinks."

Evie nodded, picking up her fork and knife. The two girls took a seat by one of the port windows, away from most of the noisy and rowdy crew.

"Breakfast is nice," Evie commented, trying to fill in the tense silence between them.

"They've actually managed not to burn everything today," Uma said, sounding pleasantly surprised. "First for everything. You're welcome to join us for breakfast whenever you want though, or any other meals."

Evie nodded again, feeling a little uncomfortable by the offer. She still wasn't use to Uma being so nice to her.

"I know it'd make Harry happy to have you hanging around here more," Uma replied casually as she sliced her strips of bacon. "It gives you a chance to get to know the rest of the crew too. They're excited to get to know you better."

Evie had been aware that Uma's crew knew that she and Harry were friends, Uma having told her when they had been laying out their truce at Ursula's Fish and Chip shop. The crew had to know so they wouldn't strike out against her should they encounter her on the streets or see her with Harry.

"I'd... love to," Evie said, putting on a fake smile.

"I hope you don't mind me mentioning, but Harry said that Jay found out about you and him, huh?" Uma asked innocently.

"He did," Evie replied carefully, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Uma smiled a little. "From that tone, I'm guessing he didn't take it very well."

Evie cleared her throat. "No offence, Uma, but I really don't want to talk about it."  _With you_ , the unspoken words hung between them.

Uma held up her hands. "Oh, no! I get it, don't worry. We're not quite friends, are we? Though I would like to change that. I think you and me, we could be good friends. We've both been scorned in the past," tactfully, Uma avoiding saying by who, "we've both got style, great hair, and hey, both our mothers are witches."

Evie let out a small laugh, one that didn't reach her eyes.

Maybe one day she and Uma would get along, without the undercurrent of mistrust. As loathe as she was to admit it, the last time she had hung out with Uma at the chip shop after their awkward girl talk and truce had been made, she had found herself enjoying Uma's company. Maybe, one day they could be friends. Maybe.

"One question though, and if you don't want to answer it, that's fine. I get it. Honestly, I do," Uma said, leaning forward. "Has Jay told Mal yet?"

"No," Evie said, shaking her head. "I don't know why."

"Those two have always been close, Evie. If he hasn't told her yet he will," Uma warned darkly, pulling away. "Remember my offer, that my doors are always open for you. If Mal reacts badly, which, is a given, then rest easy knowing that you'll have me, Harry and the whole crew ready to back you up. Our crew looks out for each other. And as it happens there's also a position opened. I think you'll find that the pirate's life is a wonderful life."

"The offer's... appreciated," Evie replied tightly, trying to sound as polite as she could.

"I won't let Mal get away with being a drama queen as usual." Uma tossed her braids over her shoulders, smiling teasingly. "There's only room for one drama queen in this place."

"And all the food's gone, as usual," Harry muttered as he sat beside Evie, throwing an arm over her shoulders.

"You snooze you lose," Uma replied dryly. "And Evie, don't let him steal any of yours. He needs to learn to start getting up on time if he wants breakfast."

Harry rolled his eyes.

Evie sniggered, pointedly tossing some of her food into her mouth. She made a delicious humming sound, showing off that it was tasty, much to Harry's annoyance.

* * *

Evie walked down the dock, away from The Lost Revenge.

After breakfast, Uma had requested that she stay for a while. She had resisted at first but caved when Harry had asked her, not wanting to disappoint him. She had to be careful, lest he realize just how much power those misty blue eyes of his had over her.

She had stayed for several hours, blissfully unaware of how much time had passed. She had decided to leave when she realized she just how much fun she was having in the company of the pirates. Guilt had snuck up on her like a dark shadow, sinking its claws into her heart. Here she was having a great time with Uma's crew, the sworn enemies of the VK's, while her friends were stuck in a state of unrest due to the tension between her and Jay.

She felt like a terrible friend and nothing she did would vanquish the feeling.

Uma's dire warning about Jay and Mal wafted through her mind like a looming curse.

She was right, of course. Sooner or later Jay would tell Mal.

Perhaps the reason that Jay hadn't told Mal yet was because he was giving her the chance to. If that was the case, then she doubted he would wait much longer. Evie shivered, dreading the impending moment when the truth would be revealed.

She knew Mal was going to be furious, Jay's reaction only strengthening her belief that Mal wouldn't take it well. One way or another Mal would find out. It didn't matter if it was right now, tomorrow, next week or months down the line. She would find out. And she would be livid. There was nothing Evie could do to control how Mal would react. Whatever her reaction, she would have to deal with it.

What she could control was how Mal found out.

Maybe it would lessen the blow or maybe it wouldn't. But... Mal deserved to hear it from her. Not Jay. Not by accident. From her lips and hers alone. They may not have been the closest of friends, but they were still friends. At least if she did tell her then the tension within the group would be cleared... even if it meant there was a chance that she wasn't there anymore.

Evie took in a deep breath, her decision made.

Tomorrow... she would tell Mal the truth.

* * *

Under the night sky, the shadows their silent protectors, three VK's peeked out from their hiding place in the alleyway across from Ursula's Fish and Chip Shop. They had watched as Uma, Harry and Gil locked the place up for the night then parted to go their separate ways. Once they were sure the coast was clear, the VK's crept out onto the street and hurried over to the shop.

After scouting the shop for ways in, they found a window that was open and just big enough for them to slip into. They had to stack several crates and barrels on top of each other in order to reach it. Jay climbed up first, making sure it was safe before slithering into the window. Mal began scaling the barrels after him, Carlos waiting at the bottom, keeping a nervous look out.

"Where's Evie?" Carlos whispered to Mal.

Mal shrugged. "Jay said she's ill so we didn't tell her about this. You know Evie, she wouldn't let us do this on our own if she knew about it. Being out in this freezing night would have made her worse."

Carlos nodded, sounding nervous. "Right. Cool. So, just the three of us then. Right... we can do this."

Mal climbed into the window. She popped her head out once she was on the other side, clicking her fingers to get Carlos's attention.

"Carlos!" Mal hissed down, "pass me up the stuff!"

Carlos struggled to lift the heavy bags that Jay had left outside the shop. With great difficulty, he managed to shove it up to Mal, who was barely able to grab hold of it. She gritted her teeth as she tried to pull the bag through the small window. Carlos heard her muffled voice from the other side of the window, telling him to help shove the bag through. Carlos scurried onto the barrels and pushed.

"Oh, yuck! This thing smells!" Carlos said in disgust.

He held his breath as he shoved the bag through.

"Hurry up, Carlos! We have mischief to do!" Mal snapped.

Carlos sighed and climbed into the shop.

* * *

The next day Evie found herself standing outside the entrance to Mal's home, Bargain Castle. She had spent most of the day fretting over what she had to do before finally plucking up the courage to do it. When she had gotten to Mal's home and saw the homemade intercom system, which was nothing more than a rusty horn that connected to another one within Mal's home, her bravery had faltered again. She had stared at the horn for ages, nerves trembling through her body and churning her stomach.

_Come on, Evie. You can do this! People are starting to stare at you for lurking out here so long!_

Evie clenched her eyes shut, took in a deep breath, and leaned in close to the horn.

"Mal. It's Evie. Are you there?"

There was a moment of silence before an answer came. It was so harsh and loud that it caused Evie to flinch away. Much to her alarm, it wasn't Mal who answered.

"WHAT!"

It was Maleficent.

"Um... is... Mal in?" Evie asked timidly.

"Who is this?" Evie heard banging and assumed that Maleficent was thwacking the horn on her side. Maleficent had never been the greatest with technology, even with something as simple as the intercom system. "Is this thing on? Heeeello?"

"It's Evie. Evil Queen's daughter."

"Oh, I take you're here for Mal. Well, she's not here. She said something about going out to get revenge against a squid or a shrimp," Maleficent replied, sounding utterly uninterested and bored of the conversation.

 _A squid or a shrimp?_  Evie winced, realizing who Maleficent was referring to.

"Revenge?" Evie asked, angling for more information.

Maleficent hummed in acknowledgement. "Yes, she's going to sabotage a grand opening or something."

"Grand opening... as in Ursula's Fish and Chip Shop grand opening?"

"That's the one," Maleficent muttered.

"Oh! Right, I remember her mentioning that!" Evie lied, putting some fake cheer into her voice. "Well, I'll let you get going! Evil to do and what not. I didn't mean to disturb you!"

Evie bolted down the street, away from Bargain Castle.

 _Why didn't they tell me they were going to prank Uma?_  Evie thought, panic sending her heart racing.

There was only one reason she could think of. They didn't trust her. And if they didn't trust her... then they had to know the truth. Jay had to have told them. What other explanation could there be? If they were going to prank Uma's crew, they would have made sure they had all the VK's there for back up.

Evie ran as fast as she could through the dimming streets, the streetlights flickering to life around her.

It was roughly six o'clock, the grand opening of Uma's Fish and Chip Shop would have been well underway by now. Evie wasn't sure what she was going to do when she got there, only one person's well-being occupying her mind.

_Harry..._

* * *

Ursula's Fish and Chip Shop was bursting with life. All the renovations and decorations had been finished. In honour of the celebration, there were balloons, streamers and banners hung from the walls and ceilings, all teal, green and light purple coloured. All the seats were filled with jovial pirates, sitting down and enjoying their meals. Up on the stage, one pirate was playing the piano, his cheerful tune accompanied by the loud chatter and laughter of the customers.

Uma sat on the stage, admiring the success of the night with pleasure. Beside her, Harry leaned against the stage with a pint in his hand. Gil sat on a chair beside them, munching into a plate of chips and occasionally slurping his foamy drink.

"Well, good to see the night went off without a hitch," Harry said with a wink, giving Uma a silent toast.

Uma nodded, turning away from him to continue watching the crowds. A sly smile spread on her face when she saw a new face enter the shop.

"Hey, Harry looks like your girlfriend decided to come after all," Uma said, nodding towards the door.

Harry turned around, a grin breaking onto his face. "Well, I better go welcome her. It's rude to leave a princess waitin."

 _Especially one as lovely as she,_  he thought to himself.

Harry made his way towards his princess, a flirty grin on his face. When Evie saw him she hurried over to him, meeting him halfway.

"Harry, there you are!" Evie said, giving him a once over. "I need to talk you!"

"Come on then," Harry said, taking her hand and pulling her into one of the back rooms. He closed the door behind them, muffling out the sound of the music and lively customers.

"Princess, I'm glad ye could make it," Harry said, leaning down to give her a kiss. Evie put a hand on his chest, stopping him. Harry frowned, noticing her flustered and breathless state. "Evie, what's wrong?"

"I just got back from Maleficent's house," Evie said, trying to regain her breath. "She said... she said that Mal had something planned for the grand opening."

Harry looked at her in alarm. "What do you mean? Mal's plannin something for tonight?"

"I don't know! They didn't tell me!" Evie said, shaking her head. "Why wouldn't they tell me they were going to carry out a prank?"

Harry placed his hook-less hand on her shoulder, giving her a comforting squeeze.

"Has anything happened yet?" Evie asked, giving him another worried glance over.

"No," Harry replied. "Wait here. I need to tell Uma before anything does."

Harry ran his knuckles over Evie's cheek, pulling her close and leaving a soft kiss on her forehead. He wanted to give her more comfort, but right now he had to warn Uma. He turned away, hurrying over to the door.

The moment he opened it an infuriated scream shook through the air. Any hopes that he had had of thwarting the VK's prank evaporated. He was too late. Uma stood on the stage, a net tangled over her and covered in shrimps. All around her was a pool of the red creatures, scuttling and flailing about. Some clung to her braids, clothes, arms and legs. She stood there, mouth gaping open, her body tensed.

Evie's joined him by the door, her hands flying up to cover her mouth.

There was a tense moment of silence. One pirate suddenly burst into laughter, prompting the rest to do the same. Once the initial shock wore off the look that contorted onto Uma's face was murderous. She screamed for everyone to shut up, but no one would listen.

"I'm gonna kill em," Harry whispered, his grip tightening on his hook.

The pirate crowd's laughter was cut-off by a loud crashing sound. Everyone spun around, gasps then evil sniggers passing through the crowd. Harry left Evie by the door, shoving his way through the pirates to see what had happened.

What he saw put a malicious grin on his face.

* * *

Evie stood on her tippy toes, trying to see what was going on. The pirates were suddenly looking very pleased as they shared sinister chuckles with one another. It wasn't until she heard the pained cry and the familiar voice shouting out that she realized with a terrible shock why.

"Let me go!"

_That sounds like..._

Evie stood riveted to the spot, hidden in the shadows of the doorframe, watching in muted dismay as the crowd of pirates parted just enough to let her confirm her suspicion.

Carlos was lying on the floor, pirates surrounding him with swords aimed at him. Evie glanced upwards, realizing that Carlos must have been hiding somewhere in the rafters of the ceiling, waiting to release the net containing the shrimps for the VK's prank. She assumed he must have slipped, the second he hit the floor the pirates surrounding him like blood thirsty sharks.

Two pirates hauled Carlos to his feet, grabbing him by either arm. Carlos struggled but couldn't break from their iron hold.

_Carlos..._

Uma stormed towards the captured boy, brushing off shrimps that were still clinging to her. Harry and Gil joined her a second later, looking evilly smug.

"Look what we have here, mates," Harry said with an evil grin, his hook dangerously close to Carlos's face. "Oh, poor Carlos. Bet ye wish yer mum had done ye in for that party now, eh? It would have spared ye what we're gonna do to ye."

"You are so dead for this!" Uma snarled.

"Oh, what to do? What to do?" Harry said in a sing song voice. "Any suggestions?"

The pirates began jeering and shouting out their favourite revenge methods.

"Shrimp him!"

"Tie him to the mast and leave em to rot!"

"Dunk the skunk boy!"

"Tar and feather him, I say!"

Harry grinned at the suggestions, enjoying the nervousness growing on Carlo's face. He leaned in close, his hook skimming the boy's cheek. "Oh, so many decisions. I feel spoiled for choice! We could always get ye to walk the plank and meet our not so friendly neighbourhood sharks? That's always a favourite of mine."

"Or all of them," Uma replied viciously. "Let's start with the tar and feathers, shall we? I'm sure my mum keeps some out back in case the occasion arises."

Evie clutched onto the door frame. She couldn't let them do that to Carlos! But what could she do? She didn't think asking Uma nicely would work. And there was no way she could take on a dozen or so pirates on her own.

The pirates tied Carlos to a support beam with rope. After a few moments, Gil and a few other pirates came back into the room with a barrel of tar and a bag of feathers.

 _Oh, don't do this,_  Evie thought in panic.  _Carlos doesn't deserve this..._

"Get away from me!" Carlos shouted, kicking out and thrashing, his eyes widening upon seeing the tar and feathers. "Let go!"

"Oh, I hope yer mother dearest won't mistake ye for a bird with all those feathers," Harry said slyly. "She may end up making a coat out a ye."

Evie couldn't take it anymore. She moved to intervene, unsure of what she was going to do but refusing to stand idly by as this happened. She didn't get the chance, however, as the doors to the chip shop were flung open, thwacking loudly off the walls.

"Ohhhh, Shrimpy," a voice drawled. Everyone turned around to find Mal and Jay standing at the doorway, swords at their sides. "Miss us?"

"Mal," Uma gritted out, the word like venom on her lips.

"Here's the deal, Shrimpy. Release Carlos now and we can go our separate ways," Mal said with a smile, "unless you want to deal with me and the VK's."

"You and what army, Mal? There's more of us than there are of you!" Uma said with a harsh laugh.

Mal grinned, snapping her fingers. From the doorway, more villainous children emerged, swords and slingshots at their sides. They were not children of the infamous villains like the main four, but minor villain's children who lived within the VK's territory and were always on hand to help defend it should it be needed.

"If it's a battle you want then fine!" Uma hissed. She turned to her pirates, pointing a finger at the VK's. "What are you all waiting for? Go!"

Startled, the pirates pulled out their swords and charged, letting out a symphony of battle cries.

With everyone distracted, Evie darted between the support beams, making her way over to Carlos. She picked up a cutlery knife from one of the tables to cut the ropes with.

"Carlos, it's Evie," Evie whispered from behind the support beam that he was tied to.

"Evie, what are you doing here? I thought you were sick!" Carlos whispered, not looking at her in case it brought them unwanted attention.

"What do you mean sick?" Evie asked as she sawed the ropes.

"Jay said you were ill, that's why we didn't tell you about the plan to get back at Uma," Carlos explained.

So, Jay hadn't told them about her and Harry. But he had made sure that she wasn't in the loop about the plan against Uma. He either didn't trust her or was trying to make things easier for her by eliminating the need for her involvement in the conflict. She wasn't sure which reason was true.

Evie finished cutting the ropes, freeing Carlos.

"Cheers," Carlos said.

"Hey!" a new voice yelled.

Evie and Carlos saw a blade slicing towards them. They pushed away from each other, falling to the floor and narrowly avoiding being cut. A tall, lanky pirate with scruffy blonde hair sticking out from a bandana had a sword pointed at them, looking less than happy about Carlos now being free. Evie recognised him as one of Uma's crewmates.

"Ye little traitor," the boy hissed at Evie.

"Traitor?" Carlos frowned, giving Evie a confused look.

Before Evie could say anything, the pirate let out a fearsome cry, raising his sword and readying to bring it down upon Evie. Evie barely managed to roll out the way in time. She saw a sword lying down next to an unconscious pirate, another of Uma's crew, and snatched it up, allowing her to parry the attack. The pirate began lashing out, pushing her into the main dining area where the fighting was most fierce. She felt her back hit into some else's. A quick glance over her shoulder told her it was Mal.

"Evie!" Mal gasped. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be sick!"

"I'll explain later!" Evie replied. With a skilful flick of her wrist, she disarmed the attacking pirate. She delivered a quick and painful kick to his shin, sending him tumbling to the floor. "Need a hand?"

"Yeah, that would be appreciated," Mal gritted out, struggling to block the attacks of the pirate she was fighting.

Evie and Mal switched places, Mal using the chance to catch a quick breather. She watched in growing confusion and fascination as Evie parried each attack skillfully, making reasonably quick work of disarming the pirate. Another VK quickly tackled the pirate she had been fighting, knocking him out.

"Where did you learn how to fence like that?" Mal asked, sounding impressed.

"Um..." Evie looked at her nervously.

Evie was spared from answering when Uma appeared, a sword slicing its way towards Mal and a wrathful cry on her lips. Uma and Mal's swords clashed, the girl's old rivalry flaring a brutal duel between them. Evie couldn't help Mal; another pirate having struck swords with her.

She hoped Mal would be alright...

* * *

"You think you can come in here and make a fool out of me?" Uma shouted.

"I know, I really shouldn't have," Mal said casually with a shrug. "After all, you are the professional of making a fool out of yourself."

Uma let out a furious cry, swinging her sword wildly. With great difficulty, Mal managed to block each strike. She wasn't the greatest fencer, but she had had some lessons. Her mother's run in with a sword had prompted her to get few fencing skills under her belt. She figured it would be good to be prepared, especially in case she ever came across a prince. In all the stories, princes tended to get a little sword happy around dragons.

"Oh, you really think you're so clever, don't you?" Uma snarled. Her voice suddenly took on a sickly sweetness to it, a malicious smile twitching at her lips. "But you know what? You're not. In fact, all you have is my pity. You're nothing but a poor... unfortunate... soul."

Mal snorted. "Says the one covered in shrimps."

"Maybe so, but this will all easily wash off, a bit like your friend's loyalty to you, huh?"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Mal asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Uma struck her sword against Mal's, bringing the two to a standstill as they tried to overpower each other. Uma glanced over to Evie who was fencing off a pirate with ease, a wicked grin on her face revealing how comfortable she was in the fight.

"Evie's gotten quite good at sword fighting, wouldn't you say?" Uma crooned. "I wonder where she learned to do that? Or rather, who from?"

Mal glanced over to Evie, her grip on her sword wavering a little, bringing Uma's blade closer to her. Uma grinned, applying a little more pressure.

"Have you wondered where it is that Evie's been running off to the past few months?" Uma asked, sounding pleasantly innocent. "Why it is that Jay and her haven't been getting along lately?"

Mal snapped her attention back to Uma, startled that she knew about the tension within the group.

"That's because he found out about Evie's dirty little secret. That she and Harry... are friends. Which, I take it from your face that he didn't tell you. Wow. Aren't you two supposed to be besties? Friends for how many years and he doesn't tell you that? And your latest friend going behind your back too? Oh, poor Mal. It's sad... but true."

Mal gasped, hurt and betrayal causing her grip on the sword to tremble. Uma pressed down harder.

"Jay might not have told you but let me tell you something that he didn't know, something that he wouldn't have told you anyway," Uma lowered her voice to a dark whisper, relishing in the pained expression on Mal's face. "They're not just friends... Evie and Harry... are lovers too."

Mal flinched and Uma lashed out with a growl, disarming the girl. She swirled around, her braids whipping around her. She brought her foot up, kicking Mal in the stomach and knocking her to the floor.

With a cry, the leader of the VK's hit the floor.

* * *

"Mal!" Evie gasped, accidentally dropping her sword as she pushed her way through the fighting pirates and VK's to reach the fallen girl. "Are you alright?"

Evie reached down to help her up, only to have her hand slapped away. Evie flinched, pulling her hand into her chest and looking at Mal in stunned puzzlement. Mal's eyes were ablaze, glowing that frightful green that forewarned there was a fiery angry burning inside her.

 _She knows,_  Evie realized with a heart jolting pang.

She didn't need any more than one guess to figure out who had told her.

"So, when were you going to tell me that you and Harry are dating?" Mal spat, her voice low and shaking with rage. "You traitor! You wretched little  _traitor_!"

Mal rose to her feet, picking up her sword as she did. Evie froze, unable to bring herself to move as Mal lifted her sword and slashed it towards her. Metal struck metal as another blade clashed with Mal's. Harry had appeared beside them and had parried Mal's attack. He quickly disarmed the girl and shoved her back to the floor.

"Ah, ah," Harry said with a grin. "I don't think so."

Everyone around them had quieted down, turning around to see the event unfolding in the centre of the room. Whispers passed through the room as they saw the leader of the VKs fallen on the floor, Harry's blade pointed at her throat.

Uma laughed, throwing her arm around Evie's shoulders like they were close friends. Uma leered down at Mal, radiating satisfaction at the look of hurt on Mal's face as she stared up at the two them.

Evie glanced at Uma then back to Mal, feeling sickened to the core. This wasn't how Mal was meant to find out. She was supposed to be the one to tell her. To break it to her as easily as she could. But no, Uma had gone back on her word, broken their truce and made a spectacle of Mal while doing it.

Evie closed her eyes, taking in a steadying breath. She knew how all this must look to Mal, to everyone. She looked like a turn coat. An utter back stabber. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the enemy.

"Finish her off, Harry," Uma said, laughing.

"No!" Jay cried, noticing what was about to happen. He shoved his way forward, trying to help Mal but was decked by two pirates.

"Oh, I am gonna enjoy this," Harry crooned. "Vengeance for two friends, all in one foul swoop. So, tell me, Mal, what good is an artist without her hands?"

Evie's eyes widened, horror growing on her face.

The look that Harry cast to her and Uma over his shoulder confirmed just how serious he was. He had a grin on his face, his eyes aflame with that wicked madness he was notorious for. Evie had forgotten about this side of him, having become intimately used to his more tender, passionate and playful sides. Those were shadows of himself that he reserved only for those closest to him, those he treasured and trusted most. She had allowed it to blind her to that dangerous and chaotic side that lurked within him, like a crocodile in the calm waters, always there, waiting to lash out with a toothy snarl.

He turned his back to her, swishing his sword in his hand experimentally, teasing the moment out. Mal was looking at him through gritted teeth, but Evie could see the spark of fear in them. She knew as well as her that Harry was more than capable of following through with his threat.

"Harry, don't do this," Evie pleaded.

_You can't do this, Harry... you're going too far..._

It was with heart breaking clarity that Evie realized their truce was on the line. Harry may not have realized it, but he was driving the wedge in, a wedge that she hadn't even noticed was there until now.

The wedge had been there from the moment they had made their truce. It was all the problems and conflict that would and had followed with them entering any form of relationship. With everything that had happened, it had only been hammered further and further down, threatening to split the two of them apart. Hiding the truth from her friends. Wrecking Uma's ship. Carlo's party being sabotaged. Feelings of conflicting loyalty and betrayal. Jay finding out. Uma stabbing her in the back and revealing the truth to Mal. And now this... Harry giving her no choice but to make a decision, whether he meant to or not.

_This is too much... too much..._

"Harry!" Evie screamed.

Time ground to a near halt, everything around Evie seemed to be moving in slow motion. She could hear her panting breath and heart pounding, loud and slow. She saw Harry laugh cruelly, raising his sword high into the air. Mal was on the floor, defenceless and at Harry's mercy - what little there was of it. Two burly pirates were gripping Jay by the arms, holding the thrashing boy and keeping him away from Mal as he shouted for her. Carlos was looking over at them in panic from behind a toppled table, out of ammo and pirates ready to bombard him with debris should he move.

There was no one to help Mal.

No one... except her.

Evie rammed her side into Uma, knocking the sea witch's daughter to the ground. She bolted forward, snatching up Uma's sword before swirling around in a flare of blue, her sword smashing fiercely with Harry's. The moment her blade connected with his, time sped up again. She had to use every ounce of her strength to keep the blade from coming down on her.

Harry looked at her wide-eyed, shocked to find her defending Mal.

"Sorry, Harry, but I'm not letting anyone hurt my friends," Evie gritted out. "Including you."

Metal screeched as Evie pulled her blade across Harry's, unlocking them from their stalemate. She pointed the sword towards him.

All around them everyone watched, silently transfixed. On one side of the room stood Uma's crew, the other side the VK's. Each stood ready to pounce, side eyeing their opponents warily.

"Stand down and we won't have to do this," Evie whispered, her eyes imploring.

_Please, Harry... I don't want to fight you. Not like this._

"After everything that she did to you you're still going to defend her?" Uma shouted as she rose to her feet. "You were banished for a decade, Evie! Ten full years of your life gone that you are never getting back! And despite all that, she still wasn't satisfied! Your first real party since you were a little girl and what happens? She locks you in a booby trap filled wardrobe and nearly gets you killed!"

With each mention of every sin that Mal had committed against her, Evie recoiled more and more. She didn't need to be reminded of her past, it haunted her often enough, an old wound that never really healed. All those years she could have been making friends, memories and having adventures, gone. Instead, she had been the princess in the fairy tale book, locked away in her castle, a spiteful dragon keeping guard, never letting her go. Despite her longing, no prince had come to her rescue.

Behind her unseen, Mal looked up at Evie with new eyes, startled by Uma's words.

Harry shook his head, taking a step forward, his hand slowly reaching out to take the sword from her. "Evie, give me the sword."

"No."

"Evie, she just tried to do ye in!" Harry snapped, exasperated. "Yer better off with us!"

Evie shook her head, taking a step away from Harry.

Harry let out a strained laugh, but it did nothing to hide the pain in his voice. "Are ye really choosing them over me?"

"You're the one who made me chose," Evie whispered.

_You didn't listen. I asked you not to do this. And you didn't listen! You went too far and gave me no choice!_

Harry looked as though she had slapped him. He took a step back, a pained look on his face. Her words had struck a chord with him, something like stunned realization and regret flickering across his face.

Tonight had been too much.

Lines had been crossed. The test of loyalties to great a strain. Truces tested and one truce broken. Whatever friendly still fire she had with Uma lay in tatters and she wasn't sure if it could ever be repaired, or if she even wanted to try. Mal had found out, and worse, she had found out from Uma, the girl's bitter arch rival. Evie was positive Uma had made that reveal as agonizing as a dagger to the heart, twisting it and taking delight in the torment it caused.

Evie took in a deep breath, confused, hurt and feeling hopeless lost.

"You have very poor taste in friends, Evie," Uma quipped.

"Considering I nearly called you a friend I'm inclined to agree," Evie shot back.

"Lift your swords up, pirates!" Uma cried, her sword swooshing into the air.

Harry looked at her, gripping his sword tightly in his hand.

Between them lingered a promise, made what seemed a life time ago, on a miserable cliff under the watchful gaze of a haunted tree. A promise that one day they would have a real sword fight. It seemed that promise made in jest, was now the thief that would steal away everything they had become to each other. Student and teacher. Friends. Lovers. All of that, Evie could feel slipping away from her fingers as she tightened her grip on the sword's handle. This would be the final blow, the last slam of the wedge that would tear them apart. She couldn't deny it, no matter how much she wished that she could.

"Get em!" Uma screamed.

All hell broke loose. Every villain child setting loose their inner demons. Pirate and VK's, both temporary and otherwise, raised their swords and weapons and charged. Some started brawling with swords and fists, while others hid behind furniture and support beams, launching debris with their hands and sling shots from the relative safety of the shadows.

Harry cursed under his breath and lunged forward. Evie went on the defensive, parrying each of Harry's attacks. She had been practising fencing with him for so long now that she could read his movements easily, able to vaguely predict what strikes he was about to do and where he was aiming. Unfortunately for her, Harry also had this advantage. When she tried to go on the attack he was able to deflect her blows with ease, his years of fighting experience quickly turning the tables on her and driving her back onto the defensive.

Behind her, Evie caught flashes of teal and purple up on the stage. It seemed Mal had managed to grab another sword and was now fighting with Uma. To her right, she could hear Jay grunting as he overpowered the two pirates who had held him captive. To her left, she could just make out Carlos's figure behind the support beam, assisting VK's by firing projectiles with his sling shot at their pirate opponents.

Evie tried to block out the chaos reigning around her, focusing solely on parrying Harry's lethal blade. She knew that he was holding back, just like he did during practice to allow her to learn at her own pace. And that was the scary part. He could end this fight whenever he wanted. He had learned to fence since he was a child. She had only started to learn a few months ago.

With a frustrated growl, Evie made a swipe at his arm. Harry deflected it with his hook and nearly pulled the blade from her hand. Evie gasped, panickily twisting the blade free from his hook. Harry continued to strike, Evie moving back with every hit to her blade. She hadn't realized it yet but Harry had managed to back her into a secluded corner of the shop, hidden away from the battle by support beams and stacked up barrels.

With a vicious swipe, Harry sent Evie's sword clattering to the ground. The next moment she was backed up against the wall. Harry dropped his own sword and caged her there with his arms, his hands resting on the wall at either side of her head. He leaned in close, their faces inches apart.

It was scary, how quickly everything could change. Yesterday morning she had felt safe and protected while she had lain in his arms, but now, she felt anything but.

"Evie, why are ye taking her side?" Harry hissed.

"She's my friend, Harry!"

What had he expected? Did he think that she would just stand idly by as he hurt her friends? If he had been in her shoes he would have done the same thing.

"After everything, she's done to ye?"

"I'm friends with her now, that's all in the past," Evie replied quietly.

"She doesn't deserve yer forgiveness, Evie!" Harry said irritably. "She deserves to get what's coming to her for what she did to ye!"

"What about you then? Did you deserve my forgiveness?" Evie countered sharply, her eyes staring into his challengingly.

Harry frowned, taken aback.

"What about everything you did? You threw me overboard to the sharks and were quite happy to let me drown if I hadn't managed to grab a hold of you!"

"That was different! I didn't know ye back then, Evie!" Harry snapped back defensively.

"Mal didn't know me back then either," Evie retorted quietly. "Harry, you and I have both done things to each other that we regret now that we're friends. And... the same goes for me and Mal. What Mal did to me still haunts me from time to time, and I'm wary of her, I can't help that. But... Mal makes up for it every day that she's my friend."

They may not have been the closest, but they were friends. Mal looked out for her in her own way. They had laughed together. Played together. Caused mischief and mayhem together. And lately, Evie had seen that she was trying to strengthen the bridge between them, little by little. Mal wasn't the biggest fan of being soppy and emotional, it was hard for her to convey her emotions at times. But Evie knew she had been trying.

Harry let out an angry growl, closing his eyes as he tried to calm the raging tsunami of emotions inside him. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, a pleading edge to it that caused Evie's heart to tremble.

"Evie... just... yield. Just say ye'll join our crew and we can be done with this! I don't want to fight ye. I want to be with ye... always."

Evie shook her head, biting her lip and fighting back the tears threatening to fall.

"I'm a VK, Harry... I'm not a pirate."

"Mal's not gonna let ye stay in her gang anymore, Evie. Ye saw the way she reacted out there! Uma's offered ye a place with us! Ye can be safe with friends who'll actually give a damn about ye!"

"Uma?" Evie spat, anger rising. "Uma's the one who just told Mal in the worse possible way!"

If Evie had told Mal sooner, maybe, it wouldn't have made a difference. She could have still reacted furiously. But Mal deserved to hear the truth from her, not Uma and in the way that she had found out.

"She threw me under the bus to get petty payback against Mal!" Evie's snapped.

"She didn't mean it, Evie," Harry said, sounding frustrated, his anger barely in check.

"Yes, she did!" Evie shouted back.

The moment the words left her lips something fell into place, like little pieces of a jigsaw Evie hadn't even noticed that she had been working on.

She remembered Uma's words from earlier.

_"Remember my offer, that my doors are always open for you. If Mal reacts badly, which, is a given, then rest easy knowing that you'll have me, Harry and the whole crew ready to back you up... And as it happens there's also a position opened. I think you'll find that the pirate's life is a wonderful life."_

"No," Evie whispered, realization shining in her eyes. "She knew exactly what she was doing."

Uma had seen the chance to get a shot in at Mal and had taken it, she had made Mal find out the truth about her and Harry as dramatically and painfully as possible. But by doing so she had put Evie in a dangerous position, one that someone who claimed to want to be friends would never put someone else in.

"All those talks about wanting to be friends... doors always open... joining the crew... all those nice things she did... it was to get me to leave the VK's, wasn't it?" Evie asked. "To get back at Mal."

Because wasn't that just a perfect way to get revenge against Mal? Steal away one of her friends. Plant doubts of her other friend's loyalty. Make her wary. Untrusting. And let her group of friends fall apart from the inside.

Harry's eyes flickered away from hers for just a moment, but it was enough to tell her that she was right and what was worse... was Harry had known.

Evie clenched her hand into a fist, feeling stupid for having fallen for the whole thing, hook, line and sinker. If Uma had been sincere about wanting to be friends then she wouldn't have broken her truce tonight. She wouldn't have put Evie in this situation if she cared. No. She had been right to be cautious of Uma.

"Wow," Evie said, letting out a mirthless laugh. "You are unbelievable, you know that?"

"That was Uma's reason, not mine," Harry replied begrudgingly. "I want to be with ye without all this secrecy and rivalry! Is that such a terrible thing? The VK's don't deserve ye, Evie."

"Neither do you if you think you can try and come between me and my friends!"

_You played a part in this Harry... isn't that a betrayal?_

Harry stared at her silently, not trying to hide the hurt etched on his face. He leaned forward a little, coming but a breath away from her. He raised a hand to her face, his forehead resting against hers.

"Evie, I don't want to lose ye," Harry whispered.

Evie closed her eyes, not wanting to hear this. Not now. Not after everything that happened. It was too much... too much...

"Evie... I lo-"

Harry let out a cry of pain, crumpling to the floor. Evie flinched, opening her eyes and finding Jay standing there.

"Did you just knock him out?" Evie gasped.

"Yipe," Jay said with no shame. He reached over and grabbed her by the hand. "Let's go, Evie!"

He pulled her through the shop, blocking the occasional sword and pirate that flung themselves at them. Evie could see the other VK's by the door, waiting for them and keeping the exit clear.

Evie winced at the destruction that had fallen upon the chip shop. Everything was ruined, all the hard work that had gone into the grand opening now down the drain. Furniture was broken, the walls and floors were covered in food and debris, the decorations tore and shredded. There were pirates strewn around the room unconscious, others whining at their newly earned bruises and injuries.

"Let's go!" Mal shouted.

The VK's ran out the door, Evie being pulled along by Jay.

As they raced away from Ursula's Fish and Chip Shop, Evie couldn't help but look back, her heart breaking and tears falling from her eyes. As she turned away, she swore she heard someone cry out her name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their sword fight was foreshadowed in chapter 4: Fencing and Hugs. Let no one say I haven't planned ahead XD
> 
> There are quite a few questions to answer now. Are Evie and Harry still together after this? Will they be able to overcome this? How are the VK's all going to react now that they're out the battlefield and can process their emotions? What about Uma, her crew and Harry, how are they going to react?
> 
> Sorry that this chapter is late. I found it quite hard to write this chapter and got stuck halfway through, so I ended up working on three other hevie stories to give me a wee break, Once Upon A Magic Mirror, The Dangerous Love Of A Pirate and Against The Waves.
> 
> Chapter 14: Leaving Us Here Will Be Their Last Regret!
> 
> "Harry, wait! Uma said-"
> 
> "I don't give a toss she what said!" Harry shouted. "I'm gonna go see Evie and no one's gonna-"
> 
> Gil threw himself at Harry's waist, tackling the boy to the ground.
> 
> "GIL!"


	14. Leaving Us Here Will Be Their Last Regret!

Harry was jittery with energy. He couldn't stay still and found himself pacing around the ruins of Ursula's chip shop. Sometimes he would stop at the stage, rest his back against it with his arms folded and stare intensely at the swing door exit. After a few moments, he would let out a frustrated growl and head towards the door, only to stop and change his mind.

Everything was wrecked worst than the ships at Shipwreck Cove.

Uma's grand opening was ruined, the entire chip shop trashed after months of renovating and redecorating. Ursula would be furious with her daughter, putting the blame completely on her shoulders. Harry clenched his hand into a tight fist, seeing red as he thought of those responsible.

Mal, Jay and little Carlos. Oh, when he got his hands on them there would be hell to pay! He would love to run his hook through the VKs's precious leader, but that honour would fall to Uma now. Considering everything that had happened tonight, Uma deserved to get her revenge first hand.

Jay on the other hook, he wouldn't be so lucky. Harry had never liked the boy but now he had a personal score to settle with him. Jay was going to suffer when he next saw him. If the wretched coward hadn't snuck up behind him and knocked him out like the honourless snake that the boy was, maybe he could have convinced Evie to join his crew. She could have been standing here by him right now. But _no_ , thanks to _Jay_ she was out there somewhere with _them_. Those blasted, scurvy brats who didn't deserve her!

_"Are ye really choosing them over me?"_

_"You're the one who made me chose."_

Harry's anger faltered when he thought back to that small exchange, guilt rearing its ugly head. He hadn't meant to make her feel like that, like she had to choose then and there and under such distress between him and the VKs. That hadn't been his intention at all! He had been protecting her! Taking up the role of the prince and slaying the dragon that wished her harm. It was Mal who had tried to do her in!

Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair as he remembered her voice, pleading with him to stop, to not bring down the comeuppance that Mal so rightly deserved. He recalled that sharp pain, like a dagger in his chest, when Evie had blocked his blade, the look of hurt on her face. He couldn't get rid of that haunting image of her hazel eyes, imploring him to stand down before it went any further. She had looked desperate and panicked, not wanting to fight him but afraid for the safety of the defenceless girl behind her.

Harry let out a curse.

Mal didn't deserve Evie's protection or loyalty. And yet, she had it. He should have remembered that, remembered how unwavering Evie's loyalty was. He should have backed down when she had asked. Mal couldn't have done any harm to Evie without her weapon and she had been surrounded. But Harry had let his more wild side take over, his thirst to avenge his friends clouding his judgement. He had made his princess feel like she had no choice but to pick a side. When she had accused him of making her choose it was like a punch to the gut. Yes, he ultimately wanted her to leave the VKs but he had never wanted to put her in a situation where she felt she had no choice!

No longer in the heat of battle, Harry knew he couldn't hold it against Evie for choosing the VKs over him. He had been in her situation before, someone forcing him to choose between friends and he had retaliated by choosing the ones who hadn't made him choose. He would not have his hand forced by anyone. He made his own choices. Evie had obviously felt the same way. He understood why she did what she did, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt him. 

Harry eyed the swing doors once more.

He needed to fix this. He knew the trust that he and Evie had built up was riddled with cracks and tears and would take time to repair, but he would do it. No force wielded by any gods would stop him. He would win back her favour through blood, sweat and tears if need be. And once he had he would convince her, make her realize just how pathetic the VKs were. There was no way they could be together unless she realized that. If they wanted to be with one another then they had to be on the same team. Having their friends accept their relationship was no longer possible. Not after everything that had happened tonight. Neither side would accept it and he couldn't blame them.

The thought spurred him into action. He stormed towards the door, pirates who were cleaning up jumping out of his path.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Gil asked cautiously, watching the boy quietly from where he was sitting on the stage.

"He's thinking about going after his pretty princess, that's what," Uma snapped as she came into the room, having showered and put on fresh clothes. "After what happened, not a good idea. Quite clearly she's chosen her side."

"That could have all played out differently if ye hadn't broken yer truce!" Harry gridded to a stop, whipping around to face Uma, a snarl on his lips. "What did ye think ye were doing? Everything's ruined now!"

He certainly hadn't forgotten Uma's ill-timed reveal and broken truce. If she hadn't gotten caught up in the moment, so determined to bring Mal to her knees, then everything might have turned out very differently.

"Oh, so this is my fault?" Uma scoffed. "I was trying to bring her over to our side! I misjudged how Evie was going to react!"

"Now there's an understatement if I ever did hear one," Harry said with a harsh laugh. "And now she's gone and probably wants nuthin to do with me!"

He knew he was being unfair on Uma with those remarks. Mal having tried to take Evie down with a sword had presented the perfect opportunity for Evie to switch sides. Uma didn't know Evie as well as he and even he had thought she would have switched sides after that incident. They were both wrong.  

"I wouldn't be so sure," Uma replied seriously. "That girl's clearly in love with you, Harry."

Harry's felt a tightness in his chest, his eyes softening with hope. He glanced away, looking longingly towards the door. He wanted that to be true. Dear seas below, he did. To have his heart's desire return his feelings and end any doubts if she felt for him as deeply as he did for her.

"And how do ye know that, Uma?" Harry asked quietly, wanting some kind of confirmation to his wish.

"Have you not seen the way that girl looks at you?" Uma asked. "Not to mention she risked her friend's anger to be with you. And according to you, she came here to warn you about their prank tonight when she found out about it. You don't do that if you don't care about someone."

Harry swallowed, his grip on his hook tightening. Even if it were true, that didn't mean she would want to be with him now. She was as stubborn as him when she wanted to be. And tonight, he knew he had hurt her. He saw the look of pure betrayal on her face when she had figured out Uma's plan and realized he had known about it. Yes, it was underhanded and yes it was motivated partly by his own selfish desire to be with her, but it was also because he wanted her to be safe and with friends who would look out for her and cherish her. The VKs weren't good enough for her. Not by a long shot. He just had to make her see that.

"And if she doesn't come around," Uma continued, as though hearing his doubts, "then the circumstances will force her. Where is she gonna go now? Do you think the VK's are gonna keep her around after tonight? No. We still win. Evie will have no one else to turn to. We'll have her on our side. The VKs will be finished. Mal will be all alone. We win. Now, I'm going to go deal with my mother. Gil, do _not_ let him chase after Evie. Got it."

Gil saluted unsurely.

Harry watched Uma leave.

So he was supposed to just wait for the VKs to turn on Evie? Let the wolves tear her to shreds and he would be left to pick up the pieces? Not bloody likely!

The moment Uma was gone Harry charged towards the door.

"Harry, wait!" Gil spluttered, scrabbling off the stage. "Uma said-"

"I don't give a toss she what said!" Harry shouted. "I'm going to see Evie and no one's gonna-"

Gil threw himself at Harry's waist, tackling the boy to the ground.

"GIL!"

* * *

The temporary VK children laughed and shouted as they raced through the dark alleyways, splitting off from the main group with a quick cheer as they arrived at each of their homes. Finally, only the four main VKs were left. They ran in silence, snaking their way through the streets and side passages. By the time they came to a halt at Bargain Castle, they were all exhausted and panting heavily, all in serious need of rest.

Jay rested against a wall, Carlos heaving himself onto a stack of crates beside him. Mal stood by the gate to her home, her back resting against it. Evie stood a few feet away, her hands on her knees and back bent. All their faces were flushed, their hair and clothes dishevelled from the fighting and running.

"Well... that was... fun," Carlos panted.

Jay glared at him from the corner of his eye.

"Fun?" Mal laughed. "What about that was _fun_?"

Everyone flinched as Mal's voice pitched angrily. With a snarl, Mal straightened her posture, pushing herself away from the gate. Her eyes were on the verge of glowing threateningly, a glare set firmly on her face.

"Carlos nearly got tarred and feathered! Uma _humiliated_ me in front of everyone! Harry almost cut my hands off! And now we know, that Evie over there, has been gallivanting with our enemy!" Mal slammed her fist furiously into the gate, causing it to rattle loudly. "What about that was _fun_?"

Carlos shrunk into himself at Mal's outburst, looking away demurely.

Mal whirled on Evie, pointing a finger accusingly at the startled girl.

"As for you!"

"Wow! Hold up!" Jay shouted, quickly jumping to stand between the two girls. "Mal, let's all take a breather and calm down!"

"Who are _you_ to tell _me_ to calm down?" Mal spat. "You knew about her and Harry and you didn't tell me! You're just as bad as her!"

Mal tried to shove her way past Jay but the boy would not be moved. Mal growled in frustration, her eyes glowing brightly. When Jay still refused to budge she let out a curse and moved away. She grabbed a rock from the ground and tossed it at the sign that would elevate the gates to her home. She didn't say another word as she bound up the stairs, not looking back once.

The three remaining VKs stood there is tense silence, neither able to look at the others. It was Evie who broke the quiet first, her voice ginger and hesitant, unsure if now was the right time to ask the question that had been bugging her for a so long.

"Jay... why didn't you tell Mal?"

Jay didn't look at her, still staring at the staircase that Mal had vanished up.

"Because... you're my friend too." He turned to her and Carlos then. "You two better get heading, it's late. I'll talk to Mal. She just needs some time to cool off."

Evie and Carlos nodded mutely, both sharing a passing glance before parting to go their separate ways.

* * *

Evie sat on her window ledge, silently watching the sway of the trees in the gentle breeze. It was a radiant day outside, the ever-present clouds looming above the isle glowing a pearly white colour, rather than their bleak, miserable and thunderous dark grey.

Usually, Evie loved days like this, days were she could dawn a summery dress and flit about in the sunshine. But today she couldn't help but resent the weather. It didn't feel very fitting that outside should be such a bright and calm day when here she sat in utter turmoil and misery. She almost wished it was another typical dull and rainy day on the isle - at least that way the weather could match how she felt. 

She was exhausted and restless, sleep having evaded her the previous night. All night she had laid in bed wide awake, tossing and turning, trying to figure out her emotions and worrying over what was going to happen now.

Everything that could have gone wrong, had gone wrong.

Her friends had discovered her relationship with Harry in the worst way imaginable. She had found out that Uma had been manipulating her, trying to plant doubts in her mind about her friends and lure her away from them, all as a nasty little ploy to destroy the VKs and get back at Mal. She had been a pawn, a pawn for vengeance and she had almost fallen for it. She felt like an idiot!

Then there was Harry... 

She no longer knew where she stood with him. She felt nothing but hurt, betrayal and anger for the pirate at this moment. He had known what Uma was up to and after dwelling over it all night, she realized he had even played a hand in it.

_"I know yer worried about Jay and the other VK's, Evie. Ye shouldn't be. If they were yer real friends they'd try to understand."_

_"Ye know,_   _if ye wanted ye could always join my crew."_

Evie bristled as his words whispered in her head. She believed him sincere when he had insisted that his motives were not the same as Uma's, that he genuinely wanted to be with her without the secrecy and rivalry. But as pure intentioned as his reasons were, it didn't make it any less hurtful or wrong. He had tried to manipulate her. He had let his friend manipulate her. And the manipulation had all been a way of hurting her friends. 

She was furious at him. He knew how important her friends were to her! How much she treasured them! And still, he let someone try to use her against them. 

There was also no forgetting his feral nature readying to strike down Mal. Evie had been terrified for Mal, knowing full well that Harry would have brought that sword down. _Vengeance for two friends_ , he had said, _all in one foul swoop_. She hadn't asked for him to get revenge for her. He knew she had held no desire for it, that she considered the history between her and Mal in the past. And yet he had still tried to lash out at Mal. Even if he had only been going for revenge on Uma's behalf it didn't make the situation any better. The moment he raised that sword he had put her in the horrible position, giving her no choice but to act, to choose a side.

It had broken her heart.

She didn't want to have to raise her blade against him like he was an enemy. But that was exactly what she had been forced to do.

She couldn't help but think back on what he had been about to say before Jay had knocked him out.

_"Evie, I don't want to lose ye. Evie... I lo-"_

She wasn't quite sure what he had been going to tell her, but she had a heart aching feeling that it may have been _I love you_.  Evie breathed in deeply, raising a hand to her chest. Well, after everything that had happened she didn't think she would ever find out for sure. She didn't know what was going to happen between them now. She may never find out if that was what he was about to say or even what her own response would have been. 

Everything was ruined. Her friendships were ruined. Her life was ruined. The special bond that she had with Harry was ruined. Everything. Was. Ruined!

Evie cursed, slamming her hands against the window and standing up. She flew over to her bed, flinging herself onto it and burying her face into her pillow. She allowed all the pent-up frustration and torment that she had felt over the past few months to break free in the form of tears, her body shaking with each sob.

She was so tired. So very tired of everything being so confusing and difficult.

She wished that everything could be just like the fairy tales books that she had read when she was a little girl. But life wasn't like that, was it? Not for a villain. There was no fairy godmother with a magic wand who would spell away all her woes. There was no magic lamp that she could rub and wish away all the conflict in her life. She didn't have three guardian fairies watching over her. Nor a handsome prince to rescue her from all the misery. No. None of that was for her. Afterall, villains didn't get the fairy tale ending that the heroes did. And that was something she should have learned by now.

_Craaack._

Evie opened her eyes, frowning at the sound of something having been crushed. Her heart jolted when she realized what it was. She sat up on the bed, tossed her pillow aside and looked down at the mattress where she had hidden the shell necklace that Harry had given to her.

"No, no, no, no!" Evie whimpered. "Oh, no. What have I done?"

When she had thrown herself onto the bed and grabbed her pillow, she had accidentally broken the necklace that was hidden underneath. Evie gingerly reached out, touching the shards of the red and blue shell clustered on her mattress. Evie let out a shaky breath, tears trickling down her cheeks. With infinite care, Evie picked up what remained of the necklace, more small pieces of the shells falling as she lifted it. She ran her thumb over what was left of the shell, her eyes closing as the memory of Harry giving it to her washed over her.

 _You were the start of all this_ , Evie mused.

For her, the moment her relationship with Harry had started to tilt from enemies to something else was the moment she had laid eyes on the gorgeous necklace he had made for her. From there on it had been a slippery slope from neutral acquaintances, to friends, to lovers. If he hadn't given her this shell necklace, that first gesture that had softened him up to her, she wondered if they would have gotten to the point they had now.

Evie pulled the necklace close to her chest, looking at it longingly.

She figured that the necklace had been a silent thank you for her assistance with the head injury that he had received during their fencing match for the first red shell. She wondered why he had bothered, seeing as it had been her underhanded, dirty tactic that had earned him that wound. The shell necklace he had given her wasn't exactly a worthless trinket. The main shell had been stunning and worth a lot more than the original shell that she had fenced him for. The two accompanying blue shells had probably been worth a pretty penny too. He had also taken the time to pierce and weave them into a necklace and had then travelled the fair distance to her home to give her it. A lot of time, effort and resources had gone into making this necklace.

For Evie, it was the very founding stone of their friendship.

And here it was, broken in her hands.

It hadn't endured. Just like her relationship with Harry, it had crumbled under pressure. At least the necklace hadn't taken any prisoners. Her ruined romance with Harry, on the other hand, had taken down every other aspect of her life with it.

Now she was alone. With no friends. No lover. And a broken shell as her only companion.  

"Evie!" Her mother's voice sang from downstairs. A feeling of Déjà Vu rolled over her, making her nervous for her mother's next words. "You have guests!"

 _Guests?_ Who in her mother's name could be visiting her?

Evie caught her reflection in the mirror and felt a flare of panic race through her. She looked a mess! Her hair was tousled and her tears had messed up her makeup and caused her mascara and eyeliner to run. Oh, magic mirrors! She needed to make herself look presentable! Evie scurried over to her vanity table, quickly fixing herself up. She had barely finished when there was a loud knock on her door.

Evie made her way over to it, smoothing down her clothes and giving her hair one last run through with her fingers. She opened the door, a polite smile on her face. What she saw sent a whole new wave of panic through her.

"Carlos, Jay, what are you guys doing here?" Evie asked, staring at them wide-eyed.

"We umm... came to talk to you," Carlos said, sounding a little awkward. "Can we come in?"

Evie nodded, letting them in. Jay leaned against the door, his arms crossed and looking very uncomfortable. Carlos was looking very much out of his element too, sitting cross-legged on the bed, his lip caught nervously between his teeth. Evie sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing her arm as she felt her own nerves set in. There was a tension in the air, an awkwardness that Evie despised having settled between them.

"I guess you're here to talk about what happened last night, huh?" Evie asked quietly.

"Yeah," Carlos drawled slowly, his face cringing slightly. "So... umm... you and Harry... had a thing going?"

"We did," Evie replied lightly, staring at the floor. "But not anymore. Not after last night."

"You know, I kinda wish you'd told me about the dating part," Jay said, giving her an unimpressed scowl.

Evie ducked her head, biting her lip.

"I'm... Jay, I just-" Evie floundered with her words, unable to figure out what she wanted to say. That she knew she should have told not only him but Mal and Carlos the truth? That she should never have hidden it from them? That the whole time she had she had felt horrible? There was so much she wanted to say, but one thing she knew she had to say came to her lips. She said it with no shame, knowing it was the only thing that could convey how she felt. "I'm sorry."

Carlos and Jay both looked at her, startled.

"There's nothing else I can say but that I'm... sorry. You're my friends. You're always there for me. You're always looking out for me. I should never have hidden the truth about me and Harry from any of you. I was just... I knew that I would be kicked out the group, that we wouldn't be friends anymore, that I would be banished again, that I-"

Evie covered her face with her hands and flopped forward, hiding herself from view.

"I know that doesn't make it any better. I shouldn't have become friends with Harry. It happened out of the blue. I just... I really liked him."

"Do you want to tell us what happened? How it is you two started dating?" Jay asked, raising an eyebrow. "I think we deserve to hear it. Especially since I'm not convinced Harry wasn't using you."

Evie wanted to protest that but instead, she bit her tongue. Now wasn't the time to get defensive on Harry's behalf.

"I do, but... I want Mal to be here. If she'll let me explain myself."

"No more running away and delaying everything?" Jay asked.

Evie nodded. Oh, she wasn't looking forward to this but Mal deserved to hear her explanation, to know the full story through her and not filtered through someone else's perspective and biased intentions. And she had to do it now, not later. Putting it off hadn't served her well at all, it only allowed for Mal to find out in a cruel way that had possibly damaged their friendship forever. No more prolonging the inevitable. It was time to face the music and the consequences that would dance along after it.

"Well great! Because she's already here," Jay said, almost cheerily as he swung open the door.

Evie felt her heart leap into her throat at the sight of Mal leaning against the doorframe.

_Oh, my evil mother.... Jay you...._

The feeling of wanting to bolt out the room nearly had her jumping to her feet. But when she saw the look on Mal's face, an expression of begrudging stillness there and her body posture tense and rigid, Evie realised that Mal was just as uncomfortable as the rest of them. She didn't look like a dragon set on a warpath ready to burn Evie's little queendom down to the ground. No, she looked like someone who was willing to listen. For now.

"Mal..." Evie began. 

Mal held up her hand, cutting her off. "Jay wants me to give you a chance to explain yourself and I am. I've heard what you've said so far, so continue."

Evie wrapped her arms around herself tightly, nodding her head.

Without further ado, Evie told them everything, everything that she felt they needed to know. She told them of how she and Harry first met, of her walk on the dock and her stolen tiara. She admitted to them that she had slipped into enemy territory to retrieve it, something that Jay gave her a thorough scolding for. She told them of her next encounter with Harry and how it led to her starting fencing lessons with him. Their truce she explained in detail and she even indulged them with Harry's reaction to their prank against The Lost Revenge, something that had Mal and Jay silently smirking. She explained that it was sometime after the party that she and Harry had started dating.

She glossed over much of the details, unwilling to share her intimate and tender moments with Harry. From kisses, gently touches, gifts, precious and painful secrets, conversations under twilight skies and heart-swelling moments, none of those would leave her lips. Those were her memories to cherish and hers alone. She doubted the VKs would need - or even want - to hear those details anyway, especially given their disdain of the pirate. They would know such moments were there, unspoken though they were.

Evie even confessed to her uneasy truce with Uma and her crew and revealed that she now knew that the sea witch's daughter had been manipulating her and that Harry had known. Evie tried her best to ignore the scoff that Mal gave her, the fairy girl feeling that Uma's trickery should have been obvious. She refused to look at Jay, knowing that the boy felt the same. Evie then explained how it was that she had found out about their prank against Ursula's Fish and Chip Shop grand opening, that she had been going to tell Mal the truth when Maleficent let slip their plan - something that made Mal hiss with displeasure.

"Mal... I should have told you. I know I should have. I should have told all of you," Evie whispered, feeling utterly ashamed. "I wanted to. I was going to! I was just..."

"Scared," Mal finished for her. "Well, you were never stupid Evie. You were right to be scared."

Evie felt a swell of fear at Mal's words and pulled her arms tighter around her. She braced herself, waiting for Mal's sentence to spell the end for her. 

With a sudden burst of energy, Mal began pacing back and forth, her breath leaving her in angry puffs.

"When I found out about you and Harry, I was furious. No, I am still furious. Uma _humiliated_ me. I felt... _betrayed_... and livid that you had gone behind my back and were fraternizing with the enemy!" Mal hissed. "And you were right. I wanted to kick you out the group. I wanted to get even and make you feel as awful as I felt."

Mal stopped her pacing, turning to face Evie.

"You betrayed me."

Carlos and Jay winced, glancing away.

"You hurt me."

Evie flinched, ducking her head and feeling ridden with guilt.

"But..." Mal took in a deep, calming breath. "You also saved me."

Evie, Carlos and Jay looked over to Mal in surprise, startled by her words.

"When it came down to it... you stood up for me... and you protected me, against crazy Harry of all people. Even though, you had plenty of reasons to let him strike me down. Everything Uma said was true. I did banish you. I bullied you. I hurt you. I locked you in a booby trap filled wardrobe. You have every right to hate me. And if I had been in your shoes I would have let him bring down that blade." Mal laughed suddenly, looking up. "Actually, I was in your shoes. And I did lash out... But you didn't."

Evie watched Mal carefully, unsure what to say. Mal sighed, running a hand through her short hair. She moved over to sit beside Evie, letting out another long breath.

"When I saw you standing there with Uma's arm over your shoulder, I really thought you had betrayed us. That you were just... using us. But... even being the villain that you are, that's not something you would do. It's not your style," Mal said quietly, a little smile quirking at the corner of her lips. "Evie... you said that you were... _sorry_. Well... I'm so-" Mal cleared her throat, struggling to bring herself to say the word. "I'm... sorry too. For everything that I did to you before we were friends."

She took Evie hand in her own, squeezing it tightly. Evie could see just how uncomfortable the girl was, pushing her comfort zone to the limit once again for her. 

"Though let it be known that I am never, ever, ever, ever, EVER, saying that word again. No one is allowed to ever mention it again," Mal added quickly, flashing Evie and the two boys a warning glare. "If my mother ever found out that I had said that then being grounded for the rest of my life will be the least of my worries."

Everyone laughed softly, feeling a little of the tension dwindle away. Carlos scooted closer to the girls while Jay walked over and joined them on the edge of the bed. They sat shoulder to shoulder, knees to knees, a tender look passing between them all.

Mal was the first to stretch out her hand. She gave the others a look, silently asking them to do the same. Jay grinned, reaching over and placing his hand on top of Mal's. Carlos smiled and placed his on top of Jay's. Evie hesitated, looking at them unsurely.

"After everything... you all still want me to be apart of the VKs?" Evie asked quietly.

"Without you... there is no VKs," Mal said, a wicked glint in her eyes.

Evie couldn't stop the smile slipping onto her face. She reached over, placing her hand on top of Carlos's.

"Without any of us... there are no VKs," Evie amended, earning her wide grins and smiles from the rest of her friends. "Cause we're rotten."

"To the core!" The rest chimed.

They stayed together for the remainder of the night, talking through the last few months events, clearing the air as best they could. None of them were overly comfortable with talking about their feelings, so they steered away from the more emotional sides of the topic as best they could. They'd pushed their quota for emotional sappy talk for the year, Jay continually insisted whenever the conversation turned towards that way. When the sun finally set, they decided to call it a night.

"Well, we better get going," Mal said as she rose to her feet, stretching. "You guys coming?"

"Yipe," Jay said, getting to his feet.

Mal and Jay walked over to the door, stopping when they realized Carlos had not followed.

"Carlos, you coming?" Jay asked.

"I'll catch up," Carlos said nonchalantly, waving them off.

Mal and Jay nodded, giving them another quick goodbye before leaving.

Evie turned to him, pushing her hair behind her ear. She looked at her oldest and dearest friend, still feeling regretful for not revealing the truth to him. He was the first friend she made after her banishment had been lifted. He had saved her from the wardrobe of horrors at his mother's home. He was sweet and kind and if there was anyone who she could have confided in, it should have been Carlos. 

"You look like you have something on your mind," Evie said, lifting an eyebrow. "What's up?"

Carlos shifted a little and twisted his hands, looking anywhere but at Evie. "I umm... have something of yours."

Carlos reached into his satchel. What he pulled out had Evie's mouth dropping open. It was Harry's pirate hat, the one that she had borrowed only for him to gift her with. Tenderly, she took the hat from Carlos, her fingers stroking it dolefully.

"My hat... where did you find it?"

"I found Jasper and Horace messing about with it. They found it outside the manor," Carlos explained. "It was Harry that gave you it, wasn't it? I mean, seeing as it is a pirate hat and all."

"It was," Evie admitted softly. 

"It was also Harry that you were dancing with at the party too, right?"

Evie nodded, her heart stinging of the memory of that night. She remembered how dashing Harry had looked while dressed in his princely attire, how her heart had tingled as he had pulled her in close for their first dance, the feeling of his hand in hers, their late night stroll and their near first kiss.

"How did you guess?" Evie asked curiously.

"It was a hunch. You seemed pretty umm... taken... by the prince that you danced with, but I couldn't figure out who it was until, well, we found out who it is that you're dating," Carlos said quietly.

"Was dating," Evie clarified.

"Oh, right," Carlos winced and cleared his throat. "Are you... okay? I mean, we can talk about it, if you want."

Evie smiled at his question. He sounded so nervous and awkward, the poor boy completely out of his element. She appreciated his attempts at comfort though. Even after everything that had happened, Carlos was still her faithful and understanding friend. Evie reached over, placing her hand over his.

"I'll be fine Carlos. And I appreciate you bringing this to me. I thought I'd lost it forever."

"Just remember, that is you ever need someone to talk to, about anything, I'm here for you, alright?" Carlos said quietly, placing his own hand over hers reassuringly.

Evie smiled, leaning forward and giving him a quick hug.

"I better go catch up with those two," Carlos said, jumping to his feet. "We'll meet up tomorrow for some milkshakes. My treat. And by my treat, I mean your paying."

Evie scoffed in disbelief, chucking a pillow at Carlos as he fled towards the door. He laughed cheekily, sticking his tongue out at her before escaping her room and closing the door behind him.

With a sigh, Evie flopped back onto her bed, feeling like the most blessed girl on the whole isle. She could scarcely believe how everything had turned out. She still had her friends. She was still a VK. She had never felt more relieved in her entire life! She couldn't stop the laughter that broke free from her, a grin spreading across her face. 

_Mal, Jay, Carlos, I promise I'll never hurt any of you like that again._

There was only one uncertainty in her life now... 

Evie's laughter quietened down. The relief giving way to that dreadful feeling of heartache once more. After everything that had happened at Ursula's Fish and Chip Shop and with the truth about her and Harry having been revealed, she realized there was no possible way for her and Harry to be together now. Not with her once again an official VK.

She didn't think it was right to ask her friends to tolerate her relationship with him. And she refused to entrain the idea of another secret romance between them. She would _not_ do that to her friends again. Evie scoffed at herself. She didn't even know if he would even want to continue being in a relationship with her after everything that had happened. And she was still so angry and hurt by him to even think about what she wanted to happen between them now.  

Evie pulled the broken necklace out from under her pillow, looking at it blankly.

_Why did everything have to turn out so messed up between us, Harry?_

Evie tightened her grip on the necklace. With an infuriated curse, she tossed it across the room, taking no satisfaction in the sound of it shattering against the wall. 

She sighed, clenching her eyes shut as she collected herself. Without another thought, she got ready for bed and slipped between the sheets before turning off the lights. She snuggled into her thick quilt, closing her eyes and hoping sleep would be within her grasp tonight. She needed the rest, just one peaceful night before she had to endure the difficult path before her. 

Deep down, she knew what had to happen and it was going to hurt her. The answer was simple; she couldn't be with Harry anymore. 

And that was the most painful realization she had ever felt. 

* * *

Mal, Jay and Carlos walked side by side down the dirt road, away from The Castle Beyond The Way. They all felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from their shoulders, the tension that had plagued their group for so long now having been cleansed.

Mal cast a glance towards Jay. He had followed her up to her house last night, refusing to leave her be without talking to her first. 

She had been enraged that he had kept such an enormous secret from her. They were meant to be best friends and they had always had a no secrets between them agreement. Jay had stood his ground against her, not intimated by her flash of green eyes or fearsome temper. He knew her too well and had seen her temper far too many times to be intimated by it as others were.

 _You're not my only friend now, Mal. Everything's different,_ he had told her.

She wasn't the only one who his loyalties belonged to. At one point it had only been the two of them, two best friends against the entire isle. But now their little duo was more than that. Evie and Carlos were apart of their group. Jay had told her that he had to protect and look out for them too now.

As bitter and begrudging as she was to admit it, she knew he was right. He had been put in difficult position. He admitted that had he thought Evie was double-crossing them he would have told her in a heartbeat, but because he felt she was genuine with her feelings for Harry he had kept her secret hidden, hoping to deal with the issue himself, lest it tore apart their group. He had also been highly wary of Harry, believing the pirate to be either toying or manipulating Evie.

Mal strongly agreed with him, especially after learning that Uma had been trying to manipulate Evie in hopes of wedging the VKs apart. 

Mal couldn't help but smirk. Uma's cunning little plan had nearly worked. Nearly. But now it had backfired spectacularly. The VKs had come out of her twisted mind game stronger and closer than ever before. Mal would make sure nothing came between any of them again.

"Mal, what are we gonna do about Uma and her crew now?" Jay asked.

"If they make a move against us we'll strike back, just like we always do," Mal replied, glancing over at him. "As for Harry, I don't want him going anywhere near Evie. I don't trust him. And I think you were right, he was using her, just like Uma. Evie said it herself, he knew that Uma was trying to manipulate her. He was probably doing it too, but Evie didn't realize because she trusted him."

Jay nodded in agreement.

Carlos remained quiet, watching the two at the corner of his eye.

"I didn't get the chance to say to Evie, but I confronted Harry not that long ago. I wanted him to back off from her, but he wouldn't listen. He even dared me to tell you, Mal." Jay scoffed under his breath. "He didn't care if you found out or not."

Mal nodded. "If Harry comes near Evie, we deal with him. Got it?"

The boys nodded their heads in agreement.

They walked off into the shadows, Mal casting one final glance towards the castle behind them.

If Harry Hook wanted to get to Evie, he would have to go through her and the VKs first. Afterall, the dragon always guarded the princess. Especially from wicked pirates who wished them harm. 

* * *

Harry was not happy.

It had been a week since he had last seen Evie. Well, he had seen her, he just hadn't been able to speak to her. Uma and Gil, along with the rest of the crew, were keeping a sharp eye on him, restraining him from sneaking away to see his princess. Whenever they caught him trying to slip away he would be reprimed by Uma who insisted that he had to be patient. _Evie will come around_ , she told him. _Just wait._

As much as it went against his impatient nature, he had reeled himself in and fought against his urge that demanded that he go see Evie. It was driving him insane! He missed her. He wanted to see her, to mend the broken bond between them. But if Uma and Gil believed that the best course of action was to wait then he would endure.

It was when he had seen Evie in town, laughing and smiling with Mal, Jay and Carlos, that he began to question the usefulness of this torturous waiting game. The VKs didn't look like a group of friends breaking at the seams with mistrust, unease and anger. No, they looked perfectly content and happy with one another. 

When he had relayed the information to Uma, she had been raging, knowing that her plan had failed.

Harry didn't know what to do now. He wanted to go to Evie, to try and amend things before it was too late and the VK's completely turned her against him, which he knew they would. He was particularly worried about Jay's influence, the boy having been meddlesome in his and Evie's relationship for far too long.

But every time he left the ship to go see her at her castle, he hesitated. What if he made everything worse? She would be angry. There would be a fight. And as loathe as he was to think it, going there may confirm his worst fear... that it was over. That he would be unable to salvage their relationship. That the night at the chip shop had been the breaking point for them. It was a thought he could hardly bear, one that sent an ache quaking through his very bones.

As the days passed, Harry grew more and more unsettled, feeling as though time was devouring the only chance he had of sorting everything out with Evie. Most of the crew avoided him now, scared in case he lashed out in anger at them. He was very easily agitated of late, snarling at anyone who got in his way. 

It was another week, the weekend before the new school year started, that Harry worked up the guts to go and face his princess. He had been about to start the climb up the tower to her window when he had seen the second figure in her room, leaning against the window sill, her back to him. The purple hair gave her identity away instantly. It was Mal. Harry cursed under his breath at his bad luck. He would have to come back tomorrow night and hope that the purple haired vixen wouldn't be there.

Little did Harry know that by then, it would be too late.

* * *

"Evie, are you sure you're going to need all of this stuff?"

"Of course I do, Mal!" Evie gasped. "This is all the essentials!"

"Evie! It's a sleepover!" Mal said with an exasperated sigh. "There's no way you're going to need all this stuff! You've packed enough stuff for, like, a year!"

"Nope, my mother said pack _everything_!"

Mal was standing by Evie's window, watching the other girl glide around the room, neatly packing away all her clothes, accessories, makeup, shoes, beauty products and other possessions. By the time she was done, her pretty, bejewelled, azure suitcase with a golden crown design on it was bulging. Evie struggled to keep the case lid shut, groaning as she forced the zipper around it, sealing all her prized possessions away inside.

Evie glanced at her suitcase, a satisfied smile on her face. "Right, where is my other suitcase?"

Mal rolled her eyes, pointing a finger lazily towards under the bed. Evie grinned, skipping over to the bed and pulling out an even large suitcase that matched the other one. She flung it onto the bed and opened it up, quickly moving back over to her wardrobe to select the next round of clothes that she would be taking.

"I still can't believe your mother's not only letting the four of have a sleepover at her castle but also that she's the one who came up with the idea."

Mal nodded, a frown settling on her features.

"I find it... odd. Like, really odd. She's never liked it when I've invited people to sleepover. She hates the company. It disturbs her evil plotting," Mal said, finishing off with a mocking tone. "I think she's up to something and I'm pretty sure all our parents are in on it."

Evie popped her head out of her wardrobe, giving Mal a worried look.

"Something that involves all four of us? What could they possibly be up to that would require us having a sleepover?" Evie asked.

"I don't know," Mal muttered. "But I don't think we're going to like it."

"Now that you mention it, I do find it strange that we're having this sleepover tomorrow. Don't we start back at school the next day?"

Mal hummed in confirmation.

"Well, if my mother is up to something, we're only going to find out when it's too late to do anything about it," Mal sighed.

She pushed herself away from the window sill, wandering over to Evie's vanity table and taking a seat. Upon it, she noticed a black pirate hat, decorated with blue glitter and ribbons, the one that Evie had worn to the House of Villians party at Cruella De Vil's mansion. She stared at it, a frown forming on her face.

"Have you spoken to Harry Hook recently?" Mal asked lightly. 

No one had mentioned the pirate since Evie had revealed the full truth of her relationship with him. Even though they had all forgiven Evie for her deception, no one wanted to mention Harry, knowing that Evie was still hurting over the incident at Ursula's shop. Evie had told her in confidence that she had felt betrayed by Harry for knowing about Uma's plot, and that although she still cared deeply for him, she refused to have anything to do with him anymore. 

It had been over two weeks since then and Mal knew that the wound was still fresh, but she wanted to make sure Harry hadn't made contact with Evie. She, Jay and Carlos had been making sure the pirate stayed clear of the princess, whenever they noticed him in town they would steer Evie clear of him, making sure she never even noticed he was there.

"Nope," Evie replied nonchalantly, flipping her hair behind her. "And I don't plan to." 

Despite her nonchalant air, Mal knew the princess still missed the pirate. She saw it in the way Evie would take a double glance when someone in red walked passed them while they were out. She saw it in the way that Evie would stare wistfully at the high masts of the ships docked in Golin Wharf, visible over the rooftops in certain areas in town. She saw it right now, the way Evie tensed at the mention of Harry's name and the way she kept looking at the pirate hat at her vanity table, her fingers occasionally skimming over it as though debating whether or not to pack it. 

"You know you are way too good for him anyway, right?" 

Evie ceased her fluttering around the room. She gave Mal a tight smile, one that told her that said she disagreed but she didn't want to start a debate. 

"Let's just... forget about pirates," Evie said softly. "We have more important things to worry about, like what our parents are up to."

"Well, whatever it is, we'll face it together. All of us," Mal said, smiling. 

The morning after next the VKs were in for the shock of their life when they discovered that the reason for their sleepover was merely an excuse to have them all packed and ready for the next school year. A year that they would not be spending at any of the schools in the Isle of The Lost, but instead... in Auradon. 

* * *

The moment Harry waltzed into The Dead Man's Wreck, he knew that something was off.

The tavern always had a jovial and welcoming atmosphere. There was always the loud thrum of music in the air, with customers cheering along, swaggering their drinks high above their heads, singing old tunes of sailors past with merriment. No one stayed in their seats for long, opting to jump around the place, swinging on ropes, dancing around and causing some sort of ruckus. It was always glorious anarchy. So much so that it was like the sea, never still, never quiet, always on the move, showing how alive it was!

Yet the tavern he had just walked into was anything but.

No music could be heard, only the quiet murmurs of customers who seemed nervous, their eyes shifting around for anyone listening in on their secrets. Most were seated at the tables littering the place and only a few sat at the bar. The bartender, a fearsome petite blonde who was seen fighting more often than actually attending to customers, was quietly cleaning some mugs, her eyes roaming the place warily.

 _This place is deader than half my father's old crew_ , Harry thought grimly.  

"Well, you took your sweet time getting here."

Harry turned to the sound of the voice. Over in the corner, by the green glass windows, was Uma and Gil, sitting at their usual table that was reserved for them. Gil grinned meekly at him, giving him a little wave. Even he seemed to be on edge at the strange tension that hung in their usually jolly haunt. Uma sat with her arms crossed, looking as tense as the sea before a storm.

"What's with all the long faces in here, then?" Harry asked, signally for the waiter to bring him a drink. He pulled out a chair and flopped down onto it, casting aside his jacket. He threw his arms over the back of the seat, crossing his legs. "I'd say it feels like someone's died in here but usually that's cause for celebration."

"You haven't heard the news?" Uma asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Where you have been, mate?" Gil asked. He was sitting on his chair backwards, his arms wrapped around the chairs back. "This is the biggest news to hit the isle since, well, ever!"

Harry rolled his eyes, snatching his drink off the waiter who immediately scampered off.

"Well, I'm sure ye two will be more than obliging and tell me," Harry said, taking a swig of his drink.

Uma and Gil shared an unreadable look.

"Several villain kids have been chosen to leave the isle, to attend Auradon Prep," Uma told him, watching his reaction carefully.

Now that surprised him. Harry straightened in his chair, putting his drink down.

"Really?" he drawled, excitement tinging his voice.

How foolish of those in Auradon, but who was he to look a gift seahorse in the mouth? This was a golden opportunity. Whoever got out could find a way to break the barrier, then release them all. And when that moment came, Auradon was finished. Suddenly, all his hopes and dreams seemed tangible, something he could almost reach out and grasp.

"And who are the lucky dogs?"

"Not us," Uma snapped, looking away bitterly. "But you won't believe who they picked."

Harry cursed. Of course, they wouldn't get picked. Leaving their hopes for revenge in the hands of someone else did not sit well with him. He was a stickler for the old words of wisdom, that if you wanted something done right you did it yourself.

"Who?"

Gil hesitated, watching Uma cautiously as he spoke. "Well... there's Mal."

Uma slapped her hand off the table, rattling their drinks and startling the two boys. She looked beyond vexed, her face twisted into a vicious snarl. "Of all the people on the isle that could have gotten picked, of course, they pick that stuck up little drama queen!"

"Mal got picked?" Harry spat. "Are ye serious?"

Gil nodded, edging his seat away from the fuming girl beside him.

"Who else?" Harry snapped.

This time Gil watched Harry with unease, wincing as he spoke. "Jay."

"Jay?" Harry said lowly. "That petty wee thief got picked as well? Next, ye'll be tellin me that their bratty friend Carlos got picked too!"

"Um.... actually," Gil drawled, cringing as Harry's face lit up with realization.

Harry snatched his drink, gulping it down. He flung it aside, the mug breaking against the wall, causing some of the other customers to jump at the silence shattering sound. No one said anything upon noticing it was Harry who had thrown it, instead they turned back to their own gossips, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. No one wanted to get on Harry's bad side, especially not when he was in a foul mood. 

"So the fate of the isle and all our lives lies in those three idiots hands? Wonderful," Harry quipped.

He didn't try to hide the bitterness or resentment in his voice. Those hopes of escape and vengeance seemed to already be disintegrating before his eyes. Of all the villains they could have chosen. Those three...

"They aren't the only ones who got picked," Uma said lightly, her eyes seeking his out.

"Who else?" Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

He didn't see how this could get any worse.

Uma and Gil went very quiet and for a moment Harry thought they weren't going to tell him. Finally, Gil cleared his throat, giving Uma a look that told her she should be the one to tell him.

"She's gone too."

Harry frowned.

"Who?"

"The fairest of them all."

Harry blinked, his eyes widening.

"Evie?" He asked, leaning forward. "Evie's been chosen to go?"

"They've already left. Maleficent told them a few hours ago before they were taken away to the lands of happily ever afters," Uma explained, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.

Harry felt his heart ache. Evie was in Auradon? If he had known she was going to be whisked away from the isle - from _him -_  he would have spoken to her sooner! He cursed himself, wanting to hook himself right in the jaw. If only he had gone to her sooner... 

"Rumour has it that their parents have a plan," Gil chipped in, taking a quick drink of his beverage. "A plan to rip down the barrier and free us all. And it all relies on those four getting the Fairy God Mother's magic wand."

Mal, Carol, and Jay he had little faith in. But Evie....

"This might work," Harry said, a small grin twitching at the corner of his lips. "If they pull it off-"

" _If_ they pull it off," Uma cut in. "And with them, that's a big if."

"Evie's with them. She's smart. If anyone can pull it off-"

Uma rolled her eyes.

"It's not that I don't think they have the capability of bringing down the barrier," Uma continued. "I've spent enough time with Mal to know exactly what she's capable of. What I wonder is whether or not they'll want to?"

"What do you mean?" Gil asked, frowning. "Why wouldn't they?"

"They're out there, free. They don't need to let the rest of us out. They hold no loyalty to any of us," Uma stood up, placing her hands firmly on the table top. "They can pretend to be goody two shoes and leave the rest of us to rot."

"Now ye sound ridiculous," Harry mumbled. "I may not have confidence in some of their capabilities, but they're all villains through and through."

Rotten to the core, that's what they were.

"You may have hung out with Mal for a time, but you don't know her like I do." Uma shook her head, a smile that was anything but happy on her face. "Carols, he's hardly a villain. He just gets dragged along for the ride. He's soft and he's weak. And Jay I'm sure will be quite happy to sell us all out for the life of luxury that Auradon has to offer."

Harry frowned, glaring at the table top.

"And what of Evie then?" he asked lightly, his eyes moving to catch hers.

What did Uma have to say about her? At the corner of his eye, he saw Gil looking nervous and he couldn't blame him. This was dangerous territory for their friendship. They all knew how close he and Evie had become, how important she was to him, even if their relationship was on the rocks at the moment. The last whelp that had the guts to speak out of line about his fair princess had learned that losing your head wasn't just a metaphor.

Uma took a while to respond.

"I think she could be swayed to stay there," Uma said softly, carefully. "Afterall, it was always a prince she always wanted, wasn't it? And Auradon is full of em."

Harry's grip on his hook tightened, a dark look falling over his face. He was barely able to hide the swell of fury that was building inside of him, memories taunting him viciously.

_"As if I'd chose a grubby pirate over a handsome Prince!"_

_"Though I have to admit," Dizzy continued, "I never thought you would date a pirate! You always said you would only go out with a Prince with a big castle with lots and lots of mirrors!"_

_"All my mother wants me to do is marry a Prince and live in a castle with a mother in law wing, and lots and lots of mirrors," Evie confessed._

The final taunt came in the form of the conversation Evie had shared with her mother. It whispered in his mind like a ghostly echo, goading him. He wasn't a prince, he didn't have a castle, he wasn't rich and he wasn't nobility. He was a pirate, the complete opposite of everything Evie claimed she wanted in life. And now she was in a land filled to the brim with princes. It must have been a dream come true for her. 

Harry took in a deep breath.

"Perhaps it's best we leave judgement for the time being," Harry finally said, rising to his feet. "Well see what happens."

* * *

It was several agonisingly long weeks later that Uma's suspicion proved to be true.

Harry lay on his back in his hammock, his arms behind his head and his ankles crossed over. Outside, rain pelted onto the windows, the wind and waves rocking the boat and causing his hammock to sway. It was a perfectly miserable night, perfect for how he and everyone else on the isle were feeling. 

"I take it you've heard the news from Auradon?" Uma's voice called out. She was standing by the door, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed.

Oh aye, he had heard the news.

They had been betrayed. Back-stabbed. Abandoned to live for all eternity on this island while four of their fellow villains flitted about freely in paradise. Those wretched, accursed,  _traitors_!

"Oh, I've heard," Harry replied dryly.

"Are you okay?"

No. No, he wasn't okay. Mal, Carlos and Jay, he could feel only anger at. They may have shared no significant relationships with him, but to know they had the chance to free him and everyone else off the isle, this disgusting, abysmal place, and had instead taken that chance away from him, run off with it themselves? It grated on his nerves and sent his blood boiling. Back-stabbing turncoats! To give him a taste of freedom and pay back only to snatch it away?

But that wasn't what got to him the most. _No_. Right now it felt like he was being torn apart, that his heart was breaking.

And it was _her_ fault.

Despite the rift between them at the moment they were meant to have been friends. They had looked out for each other, had been there for each other, they had shared so many intimate and special moments. They were always meant to be something more than enemies. They had been friends. They had been lovers. And yet... here they were... on opposing sides once again. 

Harry let out a growl of frustration, running his hands through his hair before flinging himself out of his hammock. He stomped over to the window, crossing his arms and looking out at the choppy waves of the sea. Far off in the distance, he could see the faint light of Auradon, winking at him tauntingly. 

"We were friends."

"I know. Just like me and Mal were. Things change. People change."

No, it wasn't. It wasn't the same at all! This was different! He wanted to shout, to strike out at something, anyone!

But Uma was not the one who deserved his wrath. She was his friend. His faithful friend. Her and Gil were the only ones to stick by him, to be there for him. He had thought that Evie was one of them. One of the crew. Someone he could rely on, trust and be there for. Now he knew the truth, and oh, how bitter it was on his tongue.

_That conniving, manipulative little minx! That-that..._

Harry smashed his hook into the window sill, letting out a shout of frustration.

She knew! She bloody knew how much it meant to him to escape this blasted island! To be free to chart the seas. To see seek vengeance for his father. To prove himself to be the most fearsome, bloodthirsty, wicked pirate there ever was. She. _Knew_! She had known since the first time they had met!

She had the chance to grant him that wish, his deepest and most needed wish... and she turned her back on him. On evil. On everything that she was meant to stand for! She got her wish and like a spoiled little princess, she refused to share that freedom.

Uma entered the room fully, making her way over to the Harry. Gil appeared at the door and followed after her. They both placed a comforting hand on Harry's shoulders. Together the three villains stood there, pillars holding one another up, always there for one another, together till the end.

"Don't worry, Harry. We'll get em back for this," Gill assured him.

"Oh, definitely. Leaving us here will be their last regret!" Uma said, a nasty smile forming on her lips.

"How right ye are," Harry grinned evilly. "All good things to those who wait."

Evie may possess his heart, but that didn't mean he would forgive her for this.

_Very well, Evie. If ye want to play the heroine princess, so be it. I'm not going to lie to myself. I am what I am. I am a villain and now... I'm yer villain. One day, we'll get off of this Isle, and on that day, I will find ye and make ye pay._

For every hero needed a villain.

* * *

_What? You didn't think this was the end of the story... did you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! :D This is the first time I've finished a multi-chapter story this long!!! I'm so proud! My wee bairn is finished T-T And it's all thanks to everyone's amazing support! Big shout out to Ashara Lynn for editing many of the chapters and helping me improve my writing! xx
> 
> Buuuuut~* Now we move onto the sequel which I hope you'll join me on! It'll take place after Descendants 1 and we'll see Evie and Harry once again meet. Feel free to check out my tumblr (eviarry) where I'll keep everyone posted on its progress. 
> 
> Sequel Info:
> 
> Hooks and Hearts  
> Summary: To fall in love with a secret friend is one thing, but to be in love with your villain? That's a whole other story...  
> Spoilers (visual clues as to what's going to happen): https://eviarry.tumblr.com/post/165094534048/hooks-and-hearts-teaser-the-sequel-to-hooks-and
> 
> Also, some lovely angel made a playlist for the story!!! It's wicked! :D
> 
> open(.)spotify(.)com/user/jennifer_gs91/playlist/3U7wP49KrYkwO8LQ0If4rg


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